Not Our Last Embrace
by KatrinaAlene
Summary: Zack finds romance with a new solider by the name of Cloud through the help of a very special friend. Follow Zack and Cloud as they make their journey through friendship, love, tears, loss, and redemption.
1. Complicated Friendship

Hello readers, I just wanted to start out by saying that my stories have an original character in them named Shasta K Heart. She was just a character I invented in my creative writing classe and I've grown attached, not going to lie. Anywhoi understand that most readers don't like OC's but that's ok, that's why we've been given this great concept called choice and you don't have to read if you don't want to. But if you dare take a venture on this story I promise to deliver you a good read. I love drama, and if you do too, i'm sure we will develope a great andwonderful bond ^_^.

Anywho, thank you so much for checking out the story and I hope that you stay with me for the long hull for I am nothing but the humble servant of the written word and the readers are my lord and masters whom I aim to please. lol how lame was that ^_^ yet kind of ture.

* * *

He heard the dinging of the bell as the elevator reached the 22nd floor of Shinra Inc. The door opened smoothly and as a tall uniformed man with raven hair and glittering blue eyes stepped out unto the freshly waxed tiled floor of Shinra's corporate offices. He had been here many times before but yet it still amazed him. It was completely different from the layout of the rest of the building and it was more elegant than any church or cathedral he had ever been in.

Soft lighting came from the dazzling mini chandeliers that hung from the ceiling and the walls painted a cream color that went exquisitely with the black porcelain flooring. It was a rather large area but not a lot of offices, this floor was reserved for the Vice President Rufus Shinra and those who worked closely with him.

He walked the pristine hallways not even noticing the dirty looks he was receiving from the big wigs in their three piece suits. He knew very well that he was not welcomed here, but fortunately for him he had a very special pass that allowed someone as lowly as a SOLIDER to pass through the halls of Corporate and as he turned the corner he spotted it walking towards the huge double doors at the very end of the hallway.

It was his best friend Shasta K. Heart or Shazz for short. She was a rather plain looking woman, short with a slender body, milk chocolate colored hair that came down in layers just over shoulders, and her heart shaped face looked almost child like with it's softness. No Shazz wasn't an extraordinary beauty by any means but the one feature that seemed to stand out was her alluring deep brown eyes with eyelashes so long and thick that there was no need for her to use any mascara to make them look full.

He slowed his pace down a little and slowy started creeping up behind the woman. He was going to get her this time for sure. Carefully he apporached the unsuspecting woman in utter slience, closer and closer he crept and just when he was in arms length of her he reached out and...

"Hello Zack" said Shazz less than surprised

"Awwwwwwww dammit! How did you know it was me?" he whined as he felt his ego begin to deflate. He was Zack Fair, First Class SOLIDER that has been on dozens of covert missions and has snuck into some rather shady areas and yet he could never seem to sneak up on Shazz.

Without so much as a glance back at him she replied, "Well for one thing, you seem to forget that I can hear your boots clomp against the floor and since no one else here wears boots on this floor I have to assume it's you...oh and, they wax this floor three times a day so I can see your reflection in the tiles."

Shazz slipped her key card into the slot on the heavy oak doors, waited for the light to flash green, and then turned the knob to enter her office. Zack followed right behind and walked into what he called Shazz'spersonal prison, granted it didn't have the familiar jail decor, but what she had was much worse. Right behind where she sat at her desk was the office of Rufus Shinra. Shazz was his personal secretary and Rufus put much emphasis on the "personal"

Zack flopped down in to one of the black leather chairs that sat right in front of her desk as she took a seat behind it. She scooted herself closer to the desk and started sorting through the mountain of papers.

"What is it that you want Zack?" she asked in a short tone.

"Oh nothing really, just wanted to tell you something."

"Well you can go ahead and talk, but I have a ton of work to do," she said as he turned her chair to face the computer and began to pluck away on the keys

Zack looked at Shazz with concern. She had been working double her normal hours lately and he knew she was given more to do than what her postition called for. The fact was, Rufus kept her busy 24/7. Why? Because he wanted her, pure and simple. She was just a blue collared worker within the company that did the health and mental health checks on the new SOLIDER recruits. One day while while chatting with the Head SOLIDER, Rufus met Shazz while she was turning in the medical reports. Long story short, she caught his eye and he plucked her out of obscurity and placed her in a job that would always keep her close to him.

Some ladies might find it a privilege to become the object of the Vice President's affection, but Shazz found it a burden. Those who were once her friends stopped talking to her because she was no longer "part of their world" and she was unable to make new friends up in corporate because they thought of her as some commoner that just slept her way to the top, which was never the case because Shazz refused to touch him let alone sleep with him.

Normally Rufus would never take no for an answer, but in his own way, he did have respect enough for her to not treat her like he did so many of the other women that threw themselves at him. However, he did make it impossible for any other man or woman to set their eyes on her. He didn't hide the fact that he wanted her and therefore she became some what of an acquired property for him. Shazz now seemed to wear an invisible sign on her back that said "Trespasser will be shot on site". She was to be his, or no ones.

It was Shazz's lonely existence that sort of started the friendship between her and Zack. He was the only person that was either brave enough or dumb enough to talk with Shazz and fortunately for him Rufus didn't do any thing because one of the top SOLIDER's Angeal saw potential in the boy. Rufus wasn't about to argue with the one force that protected his precious company so he let the relationship continue.

Zack did help Shazz in her loneliness, but it wasn't completely one sided. Being gay and in the military isn't a position one volunteers to be in. He felt awkward around his comrades and honestly some even began to suspect there was something different with their fellow team mate. Shazz told him he could tell his unit that he was nailing the forbidden Shasta K. Heart and she assured him that this would earn him more than enough respect. It's funny how the male mind works, despite Zack's impressive skills and leadership, his comrades didn't trust him for the simple fact that he was different. Once this fake relationship was brought to life, he now had men lining up to be on his team and they would surely follow him into hell and back if he asked.

Though their relationship was strictly platonic, their love and respect for each other was strong. Zach was her one companion and Shazz was his one confidant. He could talk to her about anything, and right now, he need to talk about something pretty important.

"Well ok, I just wanted to tell you that I met someone recently that I really like him," said a very nervous Zack

"That's nice," she said without even looking up from the computer screen. Zack was expecting this cold reaction from her. He was in here every week telling her about someone he liked, but this was different.

"Shazz I'm being serious. I met him on one of our missions andwe just clicked, you know. We are both are country boys who do rather courageously stupid things and have a desire to be the best."

"So ask him out."

"I can't! I just can't waltz up to him and ask him out because I really like him as a person. If I do that than he might get scared and never talk to me again and I don't want to lose him as a friend, plus I said I would take him under my wing and watch out for him. I would feel like such an ass if I took advantage of that."

Shazz looked away from her computer and studied her impetuous friend. "You're really are serious aren't you?"

Zack nodded his head. "I know, everytime I'm around him I get all nervous and sweaty, it's quite embarrassing."

"Oh my God," Shazz said as he moved away from her computer to sit in front of Zack. She was smiling from ear to ear. " I can't believe what I'm hearing. Who is the lucky guy?"

"His name is Cloud and he has radiant blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a rockin body, oh and his smile..." Zack's smile became more brilliant with each detail he described about Cloud. "I mean, everything about him is just beautiful."

Shazz silently squealed like a school girl. "This is amazing Zack! I'm so happy for you, my advice would be to just take this thing slow and see where this takes you because there will be a moment when the feelings will awake in both of you, I'm sure of it."

"Well....." Zack started to scratch the back of his head nervously. "I was kind of hoping that you could talk to him for me, you know, see if he likes me too," he stared at her for awhile and watched as her smile went from sweet, to sarcastic in seconds.

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll pass him a note during recess."

"Come on Shazz!!! Just this one favor." Zack got off the chair and went unto his knees. He put his elbows on her desk and clasped his hands together as if he were praying. "Please Shazzberry!! Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Shazz shook her head no and turned away from him. She couldn't look into those sad mako eye's of his, if she did she would surely give in. "No, Zack, I'm sorry. As much as I want to help you out I just don't have the time to run around playing matchmaker. Between mako reactor's malfunctioning and Genesis going coocoo bananas, I am so buried in paper work I can't even see straight. Plus, Rufus is stressed out to the max and he's been taking his frustration out on me and the last thing I need him to see is me gallivanting around with you."

The dark haird boy got up on his feet and sighed. "I get it, you're busy," he turned around to walk away in defeat when an idea popped into his head and a wicked grin spread across his lips. He headed slowly to the door and said. " I just thought, since you worked so hard that you deserved a little break. My plan was to sneak you into the SOLIDER locker room after hours so you could talk with Cloud in a more sociable environment. Also rumor has it that Sephiroth will be there tonight as well buuuuuuuuuuut since you're too busy..."

Meanwhile Shazz was biting her lower lip and clinching her fists. Zack knew that she had been crushing on Shinra's number one SOLIDER for sometime now and he was being so cruel as to use him to tempt her into doing something she didn't want to do. "Wait!" She called out to her friend.

"Yes," he said curiously as he turned to face her. His smile was victorious as Shazz'sglare burned into him. There was no reason to fear the fire that burned behind those brown eyes, he knew he had won.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Wonderful, meet me in the front lobby after work. I'll have the necessary equipment we'll need to do the job." Zack didn't give her a chance to make anymore protests for he waved good bye and headed right out the door.


	2. The Heart Wants What it Wants

Welcome back! Yay for Chapter 2, I'm glad you are sticking this out and reading another chapter! Well I hope you enjoy! Let the Hilarity insue!

* * *

"All right Shazz, come on out and let me have a look at you."

Shazz stepped out of the stall of the men's restroom in the front lobby. She was decked out in full SOLIDER gear and the helmet was so heavy on her head she could barely hold it up. The boots on her feet were two sizes to big, she could hardly walk, and she just felt plain ridiculous.

"So how do I look?" she asked unamused.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I knew my old uniform would fit you."

"Well…for the most part," she replied as she took a gander at her self in the bathroom mirror. "You could have at least patched this thing up a little, there are rips and tears everywhere…and what is this?" Shazz stuck her finger through a round hole in the cloth that was on her right shoulder. "Is this from a bullet?!"

"Never mind that," he yelled as he yanked her hand away from the hole. " Will you please just focus on the task at hand!" Shazz placed two fingers at the corner of her mouth and made a motion as if she was zipping up her lips. Zack walked around her slowly, inspecting every inch of her to make sure nothing was out of place. "Well hot damn I think I did. You look like a SOLIDER in every aspect of the word. Thank god your boobs aren't ridiculously huge other wise this would have been a lot harder hahahahaha………OW!:

Zack rubbed the back of his head after Shazz's anger was show by a swift back hand upside his skull.

"Do you want me to leave?" Shazz said with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"No, jesus Shazz, a little sensitive aren't we." Zack was studying Shazz closely. The uniform looked perfect on her, but something just didn't seem right to him. "Hmmmmm something seems to be missing."

"Like what…a gun?" she asked a little bit too excitedly.

Zack looked at her awkwardly, "NO! Geez what's the matter with you? A gun? Shazz I wouldn't trust you to carry a semi-automatic weapon."

Shazz pouted and mumbled something under her breath, " People shouldn't trust you with a weapon."

" I heard that," he muttered as he was fishing through his duffle bag. Finally he pulled out a pair of folded up socks. "Here, this should do the trick."

The suited up Shazz began to snicker, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh no, no no no. There is no way I'm stuffing. You can forget it."

"But Shazz, it will complete the look…"

"I don't care, I'm not going to do it. Its not like anyone is going to be checking out my package anyway and besides," a smirk appeared upon her lips, " I don't want to set Cloud up for disappointment when he sees you naked."

Zack's eyebrows narrowed as he glared viciously at her. "You're not funny," he said in an emotionless tone as he threw the socks back in the bag.

"Oooooooooooo a little sensitive aren't we?" she said through fits of laugher

He just rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her harshly out of the bathroom, "Come on, we have work to do

* * *

Zack opened the swinging door that led her in to the locker room. When she walked in, a wave of warm air hit Shazz and it made her nose crinkle. She could definitely tell this was a man's domain because it smelled like sweat, musk, and BO.

She didn't want to go in but Zack was pulling her along against her will. She was walking through a maze of lockers and half naked men and honestly, she had no idea where she was going, or how she was going to make it out of the locker room.

"Look, there he is," said Zack as he stopped and pointed to a boy who was finishing getting dressed. He was pulling his shirt over her head and Shazz couldn't help but stare. His body was slim but well defined, his face was pale and full of innocence, his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue and they twinkled with the light of his youth, and his spiky hair seemed to pop right back even after he pulled his shirt on.

"Oh wow, he is pretty," whispered Shazz

" I know right," Zack replied with a beaming smile. He turned back around to face the boy. " Hey Cloud!" he called out and the boy smiled and waved back. Zack drug Shazz behind him and practically almost threw her at Cloud when he was about to introduce them. "Cloud, I want you to meet our newest recruit uhhhhhhhhh….Steve. Steve, this is a very talented SOLIDER Cloud."

Shazz saw a faint hue of red appear on Cloud's cheeks after he heard the compliment Zack gave him.

"Nice to…." Shazz coughed and little and remembered that she needed to lower the tone of her voice an octave. "Nice to meet you Cloud."

"Like wise." came a young raspy voice from the boy as they shook hands.

"Listen Cloud, I was hoping that you could share a little bit of your wisdom with Steve so that he can become as good a solider as you." said Zack as he placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"Yeah sure, no problem Zack."

"Good, well I'll leave you to it. I'm going to hop in the shower and oh…by the way Steve, you did a good job today," he smiled as he slapped Shazz hard on her butt. He could see she was clenching her teeth and he knew she wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't. Zack new he was going to pay for that later but it was worth it, call it a little pay back for the sock comment.

As Zack walked away, Shazz leaned against a row of tan lockers and stared at the granite floor tiles.

"So uhhh, Steve…how are things going?" came Cloud's meek voice.

"Pretty good I guess," she replied gruffly

"Well you made it into a great unit. Zack is an excellent leader. He's strong, courageous, smart, and very compassionate. He taught me everything I…"

"You like him don't you?" interrupted Shazz

"WHAT!?" Cloud said nervously, "I don't like him like…"

"Oh but you do, I can tell by the way your face lit up when he said your name and not to mention the fact that you were bragging about him a couple minutes ago. Oh saying that he was smart was a dead give away…cause you know…I've heard he's kind of dingy."

Cloud's whole face was turning a dark shade of red at this point and he turned away from Shazz to try and hide it.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," she said as she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. " I mean I like dudes too."

Cloud turned to face her. "You do?"

"Ooooooooohhhhhhhhh yeah," Shazz started to scanned the room for the shirtless young men in the locker room. Each one had muscles upon muscles and abs to spare. " I love penis."

Shazz's openness made him blush again. "Well…ummmm…I might like him, a little, but I don't know if I should, I mean…he's a guy…"

"Awww to hell with that kind of talk. You like who you like so don't start putting love into labels because once you start doing that, you'll never find the one you were truly meant to be with."

Shazz's smile and kind words put the blue eyed boy at ease. "I wish I could be as open as you Steve."

"Well, it's not that I am open, I just believe that you just can't help who you fall for, the heart wants what it wants."

"But what should I do?"

"I think you should tell him because I think," she motioned for Cloud to get closer and she whispered in his ear, "He likes you too."

"Really!?" Cloud responded a little more loudly then what he wanted. He clasped his hand over his mouth and Shazz gave a hardy laugh.

"Yes of course he does, I can tell these things…remember?"

Cloud nodded his head and gave a faint smile, "But I thought he was going out with that….ummm…Shasta girl?"

"Oh don't worry about her, the only thing those two have in common is that they both like guys."

"That's good," said Cloud a bit relieved "Because I think she's…well…kind of a bitch."

A smile remained on Shazz's face though a silent rage began to cores through her veins. "What makes you say that?" she said through clenched teeth

"Well there was this one time when I came across her, I smiled and waved but she didn't even notice me and walked right past me. OH and she never smiles and she never…"

"Oh would you look at the time, I better get going huh. Well it was a pleasure talking with you Cloud and just remember, I gave you a window of opportunity so you better take it."

"I will, thank you Steve, you're a pretty good guy," Cloud said very sincerely.

"It's no problem at all." The two shook hands and both went their separate ways. Cloud left the locker room and headed towards the barracks, Shazz on the other hand, went in search for the little treat she was promised for helping Zack.

* * *

Shazz walked the long length of the locker room until she came to a little secluded alcove at the very end. There were a couple of doors with names etched in to a silver plate in the middle. She crept closer so that she could get a good look at what they said and then he eyes became wide with curiosity.

The nameplate on the middle door read _Sephiroth _and she could feel her heart about leap out of her chest. She supposed that all the number one SOLIDERS received their own private dressing room, its not like they didn't deserve it.

Shazz then felt her feet moving without her. She was approaching the door slowly but she didn't know what she wanted to do. _" Could he be in there?" _she thought to herself, _"If he is, would a little peak really hurt?" _Shazz could hear her heart pounding and she came closer and closer to the door. Slowly she stretched out her arm to touch the door knob, sweat starting to form on her forehead. Her fingers wrapped around the brass knob, she swallowed back her fear, cautiously she turned the knob…

"Freeze solider." came a harsh voice from behind her. Immediately her whole body stiffened as a cold chill ran up her spine. She slowly turned around, her eyes staring at the floor. She first noticed a pair of black boots covered by leather pants, her eyes traveled up slowly were she saw the outlines of a black leather coat.

Her eyes followed the metal toggles of the coat upward to where only one was fastened right underneath his a bare chest. Her hands began to shake as her vision became locked upon metal armor atop broad shoulders and wisps of silver hair that hid behind it. Then she forced herself to look up and a pair of shimmering greens eyes seemed to burn into her very soul..

Sephiroth. All that she feared and desired was standing in front of her and his gaze held her paralyzed. _"Dammit Shazz, move! Do something!! You look like an idiot." _Shazz forced her body to move into a rigid stance and she raised her arm in a salute. "Sir."

"What are you doing here solider?" he asked

"Sir. I am a new recruit and just want to introduce myself Sir. I'm second class solider Steve, pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir. Sorry if I disturbed you Sir." Shazz's speech came out strong and staccato. She gave him a quick salute and brought her hands down at her sides Sephiroth only nodded his head in acknowledgement and Shazz took this as a sign that he wanted her to leave. She slowly started to walk past him.

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well…….Miss Heart."

Shazz stopped dead in her tracks, what could she possibly do now. She was caught and there was nothing left but to turn around and face the music.

"How'd you know it was me?" Shazz said as innocently as she could

"I over heard you talking with Cloud and I knew there would be no one else in this world that would do Zack's dirty work."

"Yeah I suppose you're right," she said as she nervously combed her fingers through her hair. "Well again, I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll go…"

"Hold on a minute Miss Heart, you do realize that it's against the rules for corporate to be in the SOLIDER's part of Shinra, especially after hours." his face was completely expressionless as he said this.

"I…I…I know…it's just that…I was helping out someone and…please don't tell anyone." Her eyes were begging him to understand her situation but he just stared at her. She waited there in awkward silence, praying to God he wouldn't slice her in half when a small smile cracked on his lips.

"I won't tell anyone Miss heart," Shazz let out a sigh of relief as he said this, "However, I do believe you should receive some sort of consequence for your actions. Don't you?"

Shazz swallowed the back the lump in her throat. "Y…y…yes?"

"Good answer." His eyes shifter away from her and Shazz felt as if a weight had been removed from her. But this relief was short lived for he started to undo the last fastened hook on his coat. "You see Miss heart, all day I have been surrounded by nothing but testosterone, egos, and body orders and when you walked past the sweet smell of your shampoo put me in a rather…hard situation." The silver hair Adonis began to slowly peal his coat off and the site of his naked shoulders was making the woman's head spin. "I've had a long day Miss Heart and all I want to do right now is take a nice hot shower and I want you to join me because it's only right that you take responsibility for the predicament you are putting me in." With his coat successfully removed, he laid it neatly over his arm and his emerald locked on to Shazz fiercely. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"I…uhhh…" Shazz was fighting for words. The sight of a bare chested Sephiroth was reducing her to a near caveman like state. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh…no."

With that, Sephiroth opened the door and stepped aside and extending his arm he said, "After you, Miss Heart."


	3. A Fighting Chance

Ok so the long work week is over and it's time to start posting. Sorry for the long wait but I'm make up for it this weekend. I welcome all my readers back for chapter three and hope that you stick around for chapter 4. I know this one seems kind of short and trust me had more but it was a lottttttttttttt more so i decided to give it a chapter itself. ok ok i'm done blabbing....go and read! ^_^

* * *

Cloud finished tying his shoe and got up off the ground to stand in line with the rest of the men. He saw Zack across the room standing with the other class one SOLDIER and almost instantly he could feel is stomach start to do flip flops. He quickly looked away but he had an eerie feeling that blue mako eyes had noticed him as well.

Today, every SOLDIER was to gather in the far east arena to practice hand to hand combat. This place was spacious with a thick blue mat that covered the entire floor. Circular lamps hung from the metal ceiling and they seemed to have a faint buzzing tone to them. This was noise was soon drowned out by soft chatter from the men dressed in grey sweat pants and a matching cotton t-shirts, all awaiting orders of training to begin.

"Stand at attention soldiers!" came a booming bass voice from the far in of the room. The echo of shuffling feet and hands slapping sides bounced of the walls as each solider stood as stiff as a board as their superior Sephiroth strolled between the two lines.

The room went silent. All you could hear was the soft hum of the lights and the stretch of leather as Sephiroth made his way to the center of the room.

"Today we will be working on hand to hand combat. Situations will arise when one is not armed and fighting will become your only means of defense. It would be wise for all of you to remember that fighting is never about how hard you can hit your opponent, but how many times you can hit him. Speed and smarts will be your greatest ally in battle. If you can dodge quickly and counterattack even quicker, your opponent doesn't stand a chance. Also, don't forget to study your opponent as well as your surroundings. See if you can find a pattern of your opponent's attacks, or look for what can be used around you as means of protection or a possible weapon. First Class Soldiers, team up with our newer recruits and teach them all you know. At ease men." With a quick nod of his head Sephiroth walked off and gave way for the men to cross the floor.

Cloud's eyes wondered back over to Zack who was already jogging over to where he stood. The blond haired boy could feel his heart begin to beat rapidly and his palms became clammy. Now that his feelings for his mentor began to lean towards something more than friendship, it was hard act like everything was normal.

Zack was now standing in front of him with a big toothy grin on his face. "Want to be sparring partners?" he asked light heartedly.

"Ummmmm sure," came a very mousy reply. Cloud fallowed Zack to a couple shelves in the corner that held protective head gear and pairs of light weight padded gloves. Zack lifted a helmet out of the bin, placed it on Cloud's head, and fastened the straps underneath his chin.

"There you are Cloud. Remember, safety first." Cloud couldn't help but get lost in the goofy smile Zack was flashing him. He was certain that his smile was the most attractive feature the older man had. Quickly Cloud shook himself out of his trance. He couldn't afford to waste time appreciating something that he was eventually going to end up hitting today.

The two friends found a spot on the floor and immediately both went into their fight stance.

"Ok Strife, show me what you got!" taunted Zack as he moved slowly around his opponent.

Cloud through is first punch and within seconds Zack had dodge it and caught his arm which he quickly twisted it behind Clouds back. This of course brought the boy in closer against the chest of the first class soldier who still had his arm painfully pinned against his back.

"Tip number one," Zack said near the boy's ear. "Never go right for the face. The move is pretty predictable and can be easily blocked." he was about to let go of Cloud when he face brushed up against the softness of the boy's hair. The sensation sent a small surge of electricity through his veins and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through those golden locks. Zack then realized that his hold on Cloud was starting to become awkwardly long and he let the boy go with a nervous laugh. "Ok, come at me again, but this time, don't make it so obvious."

This time Cloud positioned his body so that it would appear that he would strike from the right. He lunged towards his opponent and quickly shifted his weight to the left and jabbed lower to the gut. Zack dodge this blow easily, but nearly missed the right hook that was aimed at his jaw. Cloud threw out a couple more speedy punches and then turned to his side and stretched out his leg for a powerful kick that nearly connected with his opponent's chin.

"Oh not bad Strife, not bad at all." Another spread across his lips, but this one wasn't like the rest. This one showed a hint of mischief. "Now let's see how well you can handle me."

Zack came at Cloud at a speed he considered to be fairly moderate, but to Cloud, it seemed like he was going all out. The spiky hair boy managed to stay just a breath away from Zack's fists, but he wasn't doing it very gracefully. Zack was impressed with Cloud's ability to dodge his attacks and assumed that since things were going well so far, he could just go ahead a strike up a conversation.

"So uh, Cloud…rumor has it that you uh…kind of like me."

"WHAT??!!" Said Cloud as he stopped trying to dodge the on coming blows and stood there looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Zack seemed to disappear from his vision and within seconds he felt a leg connect with the back of his calves and he was completely swept off his feet.

He landed hard on his back and it took him a moment to realize what exactly happened. When he opened his eyes he saw Zack standing over him.

"Ooooo are you ok man?" Zack extended his hand and helped his battered friend to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just give me a couple minutes to regain my composer."

Zack planed on waiting for Cloud for feel better, but he wasn't going to wait to find out his true feelings. "So do you?"

"Do I what?" Said Cloud has he tenderly rubbed his lower back.

"Like me?"

"This really isn't an appropriate time to be talking about this?"

"Well when is an appropriate time? Maybe tonight over a couple of drinks?"

Zack didn't know if Cloud heard him correctly because the reply he received was, "Ok I think I'm ready for another round."

This time Cloud was on offense and came at Zack with a new vigor. However, this didn't faze the first class soldier in the least. His mind was focused one something a bit more important. "Hey Cloud, did you hear what I said."

"Yeah…I think…you asked…me out…right?" He said through heavy breaths.

"Yeah. Whaddya say?"

"Sure." said Cloud so nonchalantly that it took Zack by surprise.

"Really?" Zack soon felt a sharp pain on the right side of his jaw. Cloud managed to sneak a dangerous right hook that connected with Zack's face. The raven hair soldier stumbled for a few minutes before he dropped to his knees, jaw in hand.

"Oh my god Zack I'm so sorry?" cried cloud as he ran to Zack side. "Are you all right?"

"Oww! Man you have nasty right hook, but I have to admit, that was good."

"I didn't mean to hit you that hard." he said as he helped Zack to his feet.

"Don't worry about it, just buy me a beer tonight and we'll call it even."

All of sudden, Cloud felt his face become warmer. It just dawned on him that he had agreed to go out on a date with his superior. He really didn't know what he was saying during the battle because he was too focused on laying a hit on Zack. He was mad that he had lost two rounds with the guy and he was determined to with this one and would have agreed to just about anything.

Zack noticed that look of concern on Cloud's face and he playfully ruffled the boy's hair. "Don't think that you can get out of this, we have a verbal contract. I'll see you after work." Zack smiled and winked at his younger friend and that made the poor guy blush all the more.


	4. Scattered Memories

So today readers I wanted to switch it up a little. In this chapter i wanted to go more indepth with the relationship between rufus and shazz. i wanted you all to get a little insight about their connection so you can get a pretty good idea why Shazz is so miserable and why rufus even wants her in the first place. This relationship will flair up once in awhile through out the later chapters and things become heated because of it. So yeah...i hope you still enjoy.

* * *

Shazz looked up at the clock on the wall that read a quarter past seven. She had been at work now for ten hours and Rufus had not stepped out of his office to tell her she could clock out. She sighed deeply because she knew that she would have to go inside to tell her boss she was leaving.

She hated going into his office at night. She feared that she might walk in something between him and one of the many beauties that worked up here on corporate, or worse, he might lock her in there and have his way with her.

She knocked on the heavy oak doors but there was no reply. She knocked again. "Sir? Are you in there?" she yelled but still there was no reply. "Sir, I'm coming in."

She pushed open the doors and walked into a dark room. No light could be seen anywhere except for the soft glow of a desk lamp.

"OH MY GOD SIR!" yelled Shazz as she ran towards the desk. The lamp's glow had revealed Vice President Rufus lying on the floor. She knelt down at his side and she pressed her two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse. She was relieved to feel a strong beat under fingers, but at the same time she was very upset. She figured he must have passed out from sheer exhaustion because he wasn't sleeping well or eating for that matter.

"Hey…Rufus…wake up sir…hey…" she shook him gently but she got no response.

However, Rufus did hear her voice but his body was too badly worn out to justify any movement. But it did seem that her voice carried him deeper into his subconscious and he was soon transported to place that he remembered from his childhood.

He was standing on a wooden dock and looking out over the murky blue waters of a lake. He had come to lake from the summer home his parents owned was hidden between the hills of a lush green valley just outside of Midgar. He was 13 years old and he was curious as to why so many people gathered at this lake. To him it was just a lake and wondered why so many enjoyed themselves so much when here.

He was standing there, studying those who were out there with poles in hand that had strings dipping into the water and wondering what they were waiting for. He watched as children giggled wildly as they jumped off of near by rocks into the cool deep pool. The most curious of all the people that he watched were the ones that just sat on the bank and stared relentlessly at the scenery. How could someone stare for so long at something that wouldn't do anything?

"HEY! HEY BOY!! WATCH OUT!!" Came a small cry from behind him. He then felt a hand grab his arm and pull him off to the side of the dock. He heard and loud noise, almost as if it were a stampede, came whizzing past him. He heard something that sounded like a splash and the next thing he knew, there was a whole mass of water rising up to get him. He shut is eyes tight and braced himself for the sting of the cold water. Yet nothing happened. All he felt was a small amount of water his head and face and maybe a few speckles on his clothes.

He slowly opened up his eyes and noticed a little girl standing in front of him. She had taken the full force of the wave

"Brody you idiot!" she yelled "You need to watch where you're going! You could have hurt someone!"

Rufus looked out at the lake to see a group of four boys who must have been the cause of the whole commotion.

"Oh geez come off it will you. Look he's fine." said a stout boy with soaking wet auburn hair. Rufus figured this must have been Brody.

The girl didn't respond to the boy, but instead she turned to face him. Her brown eyes looked up at him with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I think so?" said a bewildered Rufus.

"Here come with me." The little girl took his hand and led him off the dock to a shady spot underneath a huge oak tree. She picked up a towel and handed it to the blond haired boy. "Here you can dry off with this. I'm sorry about Brody and his friends; they can be so stupid sometimes."

Rufus patted his face and hair with the towel, trying to dry himself off without actually messing up his look. He was working diligently when he felt the stare of little brown eyes. It was making him feel a little uncomfortable with how earnestly she was looking at him.

"Your not going to get in trouble are you?" she asked.

"What?"

"I mean your parents aren't going to get mad if you come home all wet are they? If they are, you can come to my house and I'm sure I can find something for you…"

"Oh no, my parents won't be mad." he interrupted Rufus "In fact, I'm sure they would be to busy to notice."

The girl then smiled sweetly at him and he could tell that she was relieved to hear the news.

He couldn't figure this girl out. Why was she helping him this much? Why did she even care? As he stood there and studied her for a while, he felt something pull at his heart. He noticed how pitiful that little girl looked. He short brown was completely drenched, and her blue little summer dress was droopy and saggy. He felt…sorry for her.

He reached out to give the towel back to the girl but she just smiled and pushed his hand back. "It's ok, you can keep it. I'll probably stay here and swim a little anyways."

"Oh well…I should head home and get out of these wet clothes." he said flatly.

"Ok well it was a nice meeting you uhhhhh…."

"Rufus." He usually gave his last name out so that people would know how high his status was, but he didn't want to with her.

"Oh Rufus! I'm Shasta, but most people just call me Shazz." She stuck at her hand and Rufus took it and shook it firmly. "Well, I won't keep you here any longer. I hope you make it home safely."

As she turned and walked away, the boy felt something inside him pull again. He felt, sort of, guilty leaving without at least thanking the girl for all the trouble she went through to take care of him.

"Wait!" he called after her. He was fishing through his pants pocket for a piece of chocolate that he had snuck out the house earlier this morning. He pulled out the little piece of candy wrapped in golden foil and held it out to her. "Here, at least take this as payment for the towel."

The girls eyes lit up brighter than the sun that day and her smile sparkled more than the stars. She took the candy from his hand and instantly embraced Rufus. The boy could feel himself blush as Shazz pressed her little body close to his and squeezed her arms tightly around his waist. "Thank you so much!" came her muffled cry of gratitude.

Rufus didn't really know what to do in this situation. His arms hovered awkwardly around her until she just settled for giving her a nice pat on the head.

When the girl finally let him go she opened the up the candy and popped it in her mouth. He closed her eyes and savored the sweet taste of the chocolate melting on her tongue. Rufus was stunned at how this one miniscule gesture brought so much joy.

"I can't believe that a piece of candy would make you this happy."

"Oh I know it's weird, but my parents can't really afford sweets so right now, this candy means just about everything to me."

The image of that girls smile slowly started to fade as Rufus slowly started to wake up. His eyelids fluttered opened to the light of his desk lamp shining on him. He moaned as he slowly began to sit up. His body was hurting from falling the floor, not to mention the incredible headache he now had.

He then remembered that he was not alone in this room. He looked to right and notice that Shazz was sitting against the wall on the floor next to him.

"Oh Shazz, what are you doing here?" he said with a yawn.

"Making sure you weren't dead." she replied emotionlessly.

"What time is it?"

"Ten."

"Well I guess it's time to close up isn't it."

He reached up and put a hand on his desk to pull himself up. Unfortunately he stood up a little to fast and he became a little woozy. Shazz quickly held on to her boss to steady him. The feeling of her arm around his waist sent of wave of nostalgia through his body.

"When was the last time you ate sir?" Shazz asked

"I don't know."

"Have you been sleeping at all?"

"A little."

Shazz rolled her eyes. She knew she couldn't care so much about him, but she was just not the type of person to turn away from someone in need.

Rufus gained his composer and Shazz pulled her arm away from Rufus's waist. She then sat a brown paper bag on top of the desk and Rufus looked at it curiously. "What's this?"

"Food. I know it's not much, just a ham sandwich and an apple, but it should give you enough energy to make it home. I usually keep a bag in my desk incase Zack in hungry, but he didn't show up to see me today."

Rufus's face grimaced at the mere mention of Zack's name. He hated the fact that they were together. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't allow this relationship to continue because he feared the backlash of Angeal; he let it continue because Zack was the only person that brought back her sparkling smile. The one that since her employment with him, seemed to disappear.

He knew it had been cruel to move her up to corporate, knowing that no one, especially his father, would approve of them getting together. That's why he worked her so hard, maybe if she proved herself sufficient, she would gain the approval of his father and then he could be more open with her.

He hoped that the memory of them together at the lake had stayed with her and that someday she would realize that what he did was because he cared for her.

"Well if there's nothing else sir, I'm heading home."

She was heading towards the door when Rufus called out to her. "Shasta." She turned to face him, hoping upon all hope that he would thank her this time for staying here for taking care of him. "Have a good weekend. See you Monday."

ok so that is the end of that...stay tuned for the the next chapter...which will be the date chapter!!! squuueeeeeeeeee!!! who's excited


	5. Fast or Slow

HEYYY!!! long time no write huh. Sorry about that loves. It was labor day vacation time and well...you know how it goes. Anywho i hope this chapter makes up for my absense. I hope you enjoy ^_^

* * *

Shinra INC emitted and eerie glow as Shazz walked to the corner to hail down a cab. She was wiping away the tears that she vowed would never be shed over Rufus, but tonight they flowed freely. Under a lone street lamp she waited for her ride, going over the reasons in head why she even cared about what happened to her boss. He wasn't the dazzling boy she had met at the lake so long ago. He was cold, calculating, and distant; maybe she was just a fool to even believe that a single warm moment would be enough to melt his icy heart.

"Shazz!" came a distant shout. Shazz looked over her shoulder to find a spiky blacked haired boy with shimmering blue eyes running towards her.

"_Shit!" _Shazz thought to herself as she turned her face away. She quickly wiped away the stray tears and fanned her eyes with her hands to try and dry them. She didn't want to explain to Zack why she had been crying.

She heard the clomp of boots coming closer to her and with a forced smile she turned around and said, "Oh Zack! I didn't think I'd get to see you today."

When he finally caught up to her, Shazz's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow! Zack you look amazing!" Her friend was wearing a v-neck, acrylic grey sweater that fit his from nicely and a pair of faded loose fitting jeans. His black boots were shined and his hair was gelled to perfection. "Oh and now I see why." Just then a timid blond haired boy began to peer over the older man's shoulders. "Hi Cloud."

Cloud blushed a little as he moved to Zack's side. "Oh…uh…hi." he said with a little wave. Cloud was looking rather dashing with a navy, sleeveless turtleneck sweater and a pair of charcoal colored cargos. The simplicity of his outfit really brought the sparkle in his baby blues.

"Well I'm glad to see the two of you followed my advice and decided to get together." Shazz sighed victoriously. "Man, I'm good."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Zack said with a roll of his eyes. "And I suppose you'll be wanting a thank you or something."

"Well, it would be nice."

"Alright Cloud, I suppose we owe her a……oh." Zack turned to face his date for the evening that now had a deer in the headlights look to him. He knew that Cloud has no idea what the two had been talking about. "Well, I suppose now would be a good time for a proper introduction. Shazz, of course you already know Cloud, and Cloud, this is Shazz, aka, Steve."

Cloud's eyes locked on Shazz in disbelief, so she cleared her throat and in her fake man voice said "Hey Cloud."

"Oh my God…" Cloud's eyes darted between Shazz and Zack. He recognized the timbre of who he thought was his friend Steve and now, he really didn't know what to think.

"Listen Cloud," said Shazz, "Sorry for tricking you, but chicken shit over here would have never asked you one if I didn't do a little recon." The brunette heard the sounds of a car engine approaching and she turned to see the yellow of the cab. She whistled and waved her hand excitedly to flag it down. "Well boys, this is my cue to exit. I hope the two of you enjoy your romantic evening."

The cab pulled over to the curb and Shazz opened the door and got in. As she was about to close the door, Zack reached out and grabbed it before it shut. He looked at Cloud and said, "Just give me one minute." He crawled into the cab after Shazz and shut the door.

"ZACK! What the hell are you doing?" The girl shouted

"Do you think I'm stupid Shazz? Did you really think I wouldn't be able to tell that you were crying?"

"Do you think this is really the time to be worried about me?"

"Yes Shazz I do. I'm your friend and friends don't worry in shifts. What happened? Did Rufus…"

"No, this has nothing to do with him. I just worked a 10 hour day and I'm very stressed, that's all." She knew she was lying but she cared to much for Zack to keep him from a night out with someone he really liked.

Shazz sifted uncomfortably in the leather car seats. The stare of glowing mako eyes was haunting. It was as if the glow from them was trying to burrow down into her soul.

"Are you sure?" he asked with great concern

"Yes, all I want to do is go home and go to bed." She smiled as convincingly as she could and for now the gesture seemed to pacify her friend

"Ok." He grabbed her arms, pulled her in, and kissed her forehead. "I'll let you go home and get some sleep."

"Yeah you will, and you better get out of this car and back to your man."

Zack opened the door and before he got out he turned and flashed her a prize winning smile. "You're right about that doll. That is my man out there."

* * *

Zack lead Cloud into a dive that was hidden within and dank alley way. It wasn't your typical setting for a date, but the beer was cheap and privacy was valued.

The walked in the door and the acrid smell of smoke filled the space. The light from a few florescent lamps hummed along with the gentleman who was playing the sax on a little make shift stage

The couple head towards a corner booth in the back and slid into the rust colored vinyl seats. A young and pretty waitress sauntered to their table and asked to take their order.

"Umm just a couple of beers please…on second thought, make that four." said Zack with is usual goofy grin.

"Coming right up." the waitress replied in a sing song voice and she turned and left for the bar.

Zack looked at his companion who had been very quite since Shazz had left them.

"Hey, are you ok man? Look, if you're upset about me sending Shazz to spy on you I'm really sorry. I guess I was just to nervous to come right out and ask…"

"No it's not that. I understand why you did what you did. I would have done the same thing given the circumstances."

The waitress came back and set down the bottle of cold brew and Zack immediately opened one and took a big swig. It was already half gone by the time he set the bottle down on the table. "So, what's the problem?" he asked before he took another drink.

"Well…the problem is…I uhhh…called Shazz a bitch."

Zack about spit out his beer when he heard what Cloud had said. He slammed the bottle down on the table and started to cough on the beer that choked him. "What?" he said while trying to catch his breath.

Cloud bit his lower lip and began to nervously crack his knuckles. "Well when I was talking to _Steve_ I asked him if you were going out with Shazz and he said no. Then I said that was good because she's kind of a bitch."

Zack snickered a little bit and it soon turned into a full blown laughing fit.

"I really don't see how this is funny." Said a very nervous Cloud. "I really don't want one of your friends to hate me."

Zack slowly stopped laughing and wiped the tears out of his eyes. He placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Look, the fact that you called her a bitch to her face and are still living, speaks volumes about her feelings towards you. She must really like you to have let that slide my friend…trust me."

The younger man smiled in relief as Zack opened a beer and slid it towards him.

"Well now that you got that off your chest, how about you telling me why you joined SOLDIER?"

Cloud sipped his drink and took a moment to think about his answer. "Well, back home there is a pretty big mako reactor and there were SOLDIERS everywhere. It was just me and mom so those guys pretty much became my only male influence. I thought they were so cool and I guess that's why I'm here. What about you?"

Zack finished his first bottle and was now opened his second. "For me, it wasn't a matter of wanting to, it was more like the only thing I could do. I was always such spaz when I was younger. I could never really focus on anything which resulted in my mediocre grades. Gym class was always my highest though. Anything that involved physical activity and competition, I was all for it. SOLDIER was pretty much my only choice for a successful career." He took another swig of his beer and winked at Cloud.

The boy blushed and Zack could feel his heart begin to pound. Cloud looked so damn cute with the splash of pink on his cheeks and Zack knew he had to break the ice because the urge to hold him was starting to grow.

"So uhh…Cloud. When did you realize that you liked me?" Zack asked casually.

This time the poor boy almost choked on his drink. He could feel is face become warmer with embarrassment as he fumbled for the right words to say.

"Well…I…I…uhhhh…"

"I remember the moment I knew you meant more to me than just friend." interrupted Zack with a warm smile as he set down a second empty bottle. "It was when we had finished that mission up in those snowy mountains. We were waiting for the helicopter to come and get us and the snow was falling very lightly. I was watching the snowflakes as they landed in your hair and on your eyelashes and you must of known I was staring at you because you looked up at me and smiled. In that moment you lit up. Your smile, your eyes, and the sunlight hitting the tiny flakes made you glitter like a thousand stars. I haven't been able to get that image out of my head since."

Cloud's reaction was what Zack had expected. The pink on his cheeks started turning into a dark hue of red, but this time it wasn't because he was embarrassed, he was flattered."

Cloud hurried and finished his beer. He was going to need a little alcohol encouragement to be able to say what he wanted to.

"Zack, I had always had an admiration for you. My obsession with SOLDIER led me to research a lot about the people in it and when I came across your name I thought you were amazing. You were so young and yet you were well on your way to becoming a first class SOLDIER. When I found out I would be doing a mission with you I was so excited. I wanted to do my best to impress you and when you called me up to help you lead the others through the terrain, I became so nervous. I wasn't in the same league as you, but you made me feel as if I was. You were encouraging and protective and that meant a lot to me, but it was your laugh that really plucked at my heart strings. It was so pure and easy that I felt that no matter what mood I was in, I would smile every time I heard it."

Cloud then looked up from the table and came face to face with a pair of smoldering blue eyes. He felt his stomach fluttering at the fact that Zack was so close to him, but he didn't back away.

"You know Cloud, stroking my ego like that is definitely not going to save you." Zack said in a velvety tone.

"S…sss…save me from what?"

"This." Zack held a finger under Cloud's chin and guided him into a chaste kiss. Cloud eyes widened at the sensation of Zack's lips pressed against his. His heart pounded like thunder in his chest and he felt his body start to relax and soon he began to melt into the kiss.

When Zack pulled away, Cloud was remained frozen in time. He has never been kissed before and his mind was racing a million thoughts per minute. He knew he couldn't piece everything together now, but he did know that he liked the feeling of kissing Zack and maybe, that was all he needed to know.

Meanwhile Zack was becoming nervous at the silence from Cloud. "Was that ok?" he asked softly.

The boy's brain kicked started at the sound of Zack's voice and he blurted out "Yeah….that was fine."

"Fine?" The corners of Zack's lips curled into a frown. "It was just fine?"

"Ummm…I uhh…"

"Do you see this beer here?" Zack then scooted the last bottle into the center of the table. "This is the beer that you owe me for punching me in the face. What I'm going to do is erase this of your debt…if you give me another chance to show you I'm not just fine."

Cloud swallowed nervously at the offer. He liked the kiss, would it be so wrong to want more. "Ok" the boy said finally and Zack wasted no time.

The older man entangled his fingers in soft blonde locks and pulled the boy into a fierce kiss. Cloud could feel a hand on his waste, pulling him closer until he was crushed against Zack's chest. The boys arms instinctively wrapped around the neck of the older mans and he could feel a tongue gently pushing up against his lips, begging for entrance. Cloud opened his mouth and let the slippery tongue explore his mouth.

Zack was through, making sure to memorize every inch of the boy's mouth, every soft moan that escaped his lips, and every twitch of his body. He wanted to remember all that his beautiful Cloud liked about how he touched him. He held the boy tighter has the heat of the kiss began to rise. Zack felt as the blond began to assert his dominance as his tongue began to toy with his for dominance. This made the dark haired man all the more excited and he knew he had to end the kiss soon before he reached the point of no return.

Zack sucked on the boy's lower lip as he slowly pulled away from the kiss. Both men were panting as the passion between them grew thick. They sat there and looked at each other, fire burning in each other eyes. Zack waited for his mind to catch up to his body. Though he could feel in physical self ache for the boy, his mind was screaming slow down. This was real; this feeling was so damn real that it scared him. If he moved to fast, he could risk losing him.

"Cloud."

"Yes Zack."

"Come back to my place."


	6. You Can Tell me to Stop

All right my lovelys, i have been wrecking my brain as to how i wanted to write this chapter. I tried making it as PG 13 as possible and i pray that i succeed. Trust me...it could have been a lot and I mean a lot more graphic and i hope i made a scene that stayed true to my rating but yet pleased your insatiable appetite for the lovin. I apologize if this should offend anyone but if you've been with me this far, please please enjoy the fruits of my labor. Thank you ^_^

* * *

Zack and Cloud walked hurriedly down the narrow streets of Midgar. Hand in hand they playfully teased one another with kisses and a little innocent touching. They finally reached an old brick building where Zack walked up to a rust colored door. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a small silver ring that contained two keys.

He stuck the key into the slot and opened to the door. The two walked up a creaky flight of stairs to an old wooden door at the end of a dimly lit hallway. Again Zack quickly unlocked the other door that opened to reveal a small studio apartment.

Zack invited the blonde in and he flicked on a small ceiling lamp that gave the room a warm glow. Cloud was surprised at how clean and organized his apartment was. He had been in bachelor pads before where he couldn't even find the floor. But Cloud didn't have time to make a comment on the room because once he heard the slamming of the door; he was swept up by a pair of strong arms that held him tightly. A pair of rough sensuous lips enveloped his and his entire body went limp.

The older man's tongue was persistent. It quickly parted the boy's soft pink lips and began to trace the contours of his mouth. Cloud's fingers instinctively curled around dark locks and pulled Zack closer. The friction of the kiss was causing the boy's lips to become sore, but it didn't matter. The exquisite feeling the older man was giving him was worth any amount of discomfort.

Zack soon broke the kiss and started to trace his lips down the blonde's jaw. His hands reached for the collar of the boy's shirt and pulled it down so that he was allowed access to the tender flesh of the boy's neck. The sensation of Zack pressing his lips to his skin sent little shocks of pleasure through the younger man's veins and his body tensed up against Zack's.

It didn't take Zack long to notice the uneasiness of his younger lover. He loosened his grip and looked into the boy's hazy blue eyes. "I'm sorry Cloud but, you're just so beautiful that I can't help myself. I just want to taste every inch of you."

Cloud looked away from the hungry eyes that fell upon him and blushed. "Geez Zack, you don't have to say such things. I'm not a lady you know."

Zack smiled wickedly. "I don't know. But you're kind of pretty like a lady." The older man then slowly snuck a hand under Cloud's sweater and gently caressed the softness of the boy's belly. This made Cloud blush all the more. "Oh, and you even blush like one too."

"Shut up Za…"

Clouds words were cut off by another kiss from Zack. He felt older man's hands move up his sweater and rest on his hips. The kiss was soon broken and Zack pressed his forehead against clouds. He was starting to breath heavy and he knew he wanted Cloud so badly that it hurt. "You can tell me to stop." he said through short breaths.

"What?" came Cloud's timid voice.

"If you're unsure…you can tell me stop…because if you don't right now…I can't trust myself to do it."

Cloud paused for a moment. He knew what Zack wanted and he would be lying to himself if he were to say he didn't want the same thing, but it was ok to be nervous. It was his first time and he really cared about Zack, but wasn't that the best scenario. If he was willing to give up that part him, it would be best to do it with someone that would mean as much to them as it did to him.

The boy wrapped his arms around Zack's neck and kissed him. "It's ok Zack, I'm not telling you to stop."

Zack smiled for a brief second before he pressed his aching lips against the boys. The kiss was deep and fiery and the only thing that interrupted it was when Zack lifted the sweater over the boy's head. The two made their way over the queen sized bad in the corner of the room. Zack laid Cloud down on the bed and crawled on top of him. He straddled the boy's waist for a moment as he removed his own shirt. He bent down and kissed Cloud's lips again and the sensation of his skin against the blonde's skin was like lightening during a storm, dangerously powerful but so beautiful.

Zack's lips left his younger lovers and made a trail down his chin to the nape of his neck. Zack sucked and playfully nipped at the boy's skin which caused Cloud to moan softly. The sounds from the blonde underneath him only goaded him on. The dark haired man started to make a trail of blazing kisses down Cloud's chest to the softness of his belly. Zack could feel the boy trembling as he dipped his tongue into his bellybutton but it wasn't enough to stop him from his quest. The taste of Clouds porcelain skin was addictive and he craved more.

Zack's lips made their way further down until they were stopped by a line of cloth. Zack could feel the tightness underneath his lover's pants and even though the aching between his legs had become unbearable, his first thought was to relieve the suffering of this timid little creature that lay beneath him. He unfastened the boy's pants, pulled them off slowly, and threw them on the floor. Cloud let out a gasp as he felt a hot, wet mouth envelope around his sex. The up and down motion of his older lover's lips around his member was positively electric. His hips moved in time with his lover's movements and he could feel the passion in him building. Cloud held back for as long as he could but the sensation was too great and with a cry he said, "Zack I'm..,I'm…"

The older man braced himself as he felt the rush of the warm, salty liquid flow into his mouth and slide down his throat. He looked down at the blue eyed angel and watched as tiny beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Zack leaned forward and devoured the boy's lips again, in doing so he lifted one of Cloud's legs over his shoulder.

"Cloud…I want…to be inside you. Please, if you'll let me." asked Zack nervously. Zack was always a strong person, but this moment had him trembling. He had never in his life felt so invincible and yet, so vulnerable at the same time. He knew this would hurt Cloud but skin on skin wasn't close enough.

Cloud shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Zack. I trust you."

Zack sat up a little and unzipped his jeans. He pulled them down slightly. Zack made sure he prepared his lover as much as he could so he would not feel as much discomfort. He positioned himself and slowly began to enter into the boy. Cloud bit his lower lip and closed his eyes tightly. Yes, this was hurting him but, there was an odd loveliness to the pain he felt. The gentleness of his older lover and the kind words he cooed in his ear made him feel safe and it allowed him the chance to relax and let Zack move in deeper.

Cloud's tightness made Zack feel like this vein's flowed with lava. He moved ever so slowly in and out of his lover and with each thrust was bringing him closer and closer to the edge. Zack began to tenderly stroke the younger man and so that they could both come to climax. The momentum grew steadily and the deeper Zack went, the closer he came to losing his mind.

"Cloud nhhhh…..are you…ready?"

"Nnnnhhh Zack…now…nhhhh please…do it now."

Both men had reached their breaking point and they erupted in a euphoric symphony. Zack filled his lover with all he had and collapsed on the boy's chest. Both men were breathing roughly as they felt their heart beats coming down.

Zack pulled out of Cloud and gathered the shivering boy up in his arms. He kissed his forehead and eyelids as the blonde wrapped his arms around Zack and he laid his head upon his chest. The lovers slowly sunk into a deep and blissful slumber.

* * *

Zack awoke to the sun peeking through the blinds and the sounds of the bustling city. He looked down to see his young lover still fast asleep. Zack tried to reposition himself quietly so as to not disturb Cloud but unfortunately, the boy was a light sleeper.

Cloud stirred a little and he tightened his grip around Zack's waist. "Mmmmmmm good morning."

"Good Morning love." said a smiling Zack as he gently ran his fingers through blonde locks. Cloud opened his baby blues and scanned the room. It was so cozy in here and the warmth he got from holding Zack's body made him never want to leave.

"Zack would you be opposed to not leaving this bed all weekend?" asked Cloud.

"Are you kidding? Staying like this all weekend was my plan all along." Zack chuckled softly and gently caressed the bare flesh of Cloud's arm.

"I have to admit Zack; you have a pretty nice place here. It's surprising clean."

"Why thank you, but, I can't take all the credit. This used to be Shazz's place."

Cloud look up at Zack curiously. "Shazz's? She's corporate. She wouldn't be living in a shanty town like this?"

"Well, she wasn't always corporate. She actually lived in a small cottage outside of Midgar. Her parents were farmers that sold produce in the marketplace so when she moved out; this was all she could afford."

"So how did you land a job with the big wigs?" asked Cloud as he went back to cuddling Zack.

"Rufus sort of has a thing for her."

"Really? Why? I mean no offense but, he doesn't seem the type to date out of his social bracket."

"Well according to Shazz, before Rufus was bred to be a ruthless business tycoon, he actually had feelings. Apparently he showed kindness to Shazz when she was a little girl and since then she carried this strange admiration for him. Well that illusion quickly faded once she got a taste of his true colors"

"Wow, that's strange. I mean if he liked her, why does he treat her so badly?"

Zack scoffed at Cloud's comment. "Please, Rufus's compassion well has long since dried out before Shazz came back into his life. She was nothing more to him than some good PR. When word got out that one of Midgar's own was on top, more and more people began to trust Shinra, therefore, making it easier to generate sales. Shazz is nothing more than an object to him and he would sell her out in a heartbeat if it meant closing a deal."

Cloud felt Zack's body tense up and he heard his heart beat accelerate. He immediately regretted bringing up such a painful subject. "I can see why Shazz seems distant when she is at work. I can't imagine what it would be like to work for someone who sees you as nothing more than a means to an end. I'm glad she has you though. I'm sure having you as a friend makes it easier."

Zack relaxed and kissed the top of the boys head. "Thank you Cloud."

"And when we go back to work, I'll apologize to her and I hope we can be friends. What's important to you, is important to me now."

Zack sat up and rolled Cloud on to his back. Zack's eyes sparkled and his smile was mischievous. "You know babe, when you say things like that, it's like a verbal blow job for me."

"What?" Laughed Cloud

" It's just when you talk like that, it makes me feel like such a couple, and I like it."

"Yes well, but you could have worded your sentiment a little less barbaric like."

"Oh you're right, that was a bit inappropriate. I should have offered you one instead." and before Cloud could say anything in protest, Zack's head disappeared underneath the covers.


	7. You're Doing What?

Hey darlings! So i hope you enjoyed the last chapter...i know i did ^_^. Well this one is to prepare you for the drama that is coming your way. YAY drama! lol please enjoy.

* * *

The weekend had ended and Zack and Cloud finally managed to get themselves out of bed to make their way to work. They had left fairly early in the morning so that they would have time to get in and get dresses for the day. Also, no other soldier would be up yet and this gave them the opportunity to hold hands and make out a little before they had to go to work.

They finally reached their door and just as Zack was reaching out to turn the knob, the door swung open. The two men stepped back and were stunned at the image that appeared in the doorway.

"Shazz?" said a bewildered Zack.

"Zack! Cloud! What are you doing here?!" Shazz said in almost a whisper. The expression on her face was not one of anger, but more of surprise and embarrassment.

"Ummm we sort of work and live here." Zack replied "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Even though Shazz tried to hide her anxiety in her voice, there was no hiding the pink hue that appeared on her cheeks. "Well uhhh…the thing is…and it's a funny story…I was…"

"Hold up Shazz!" Came a voice from the darkness of the room behind her. "You forgot your key card."

Shazz stiffened as a half dressed Sephiroth appeared at the door way holding out Shazz's corporate key card.

"I was looking for my key card! Thank you so much for finding it sir." She turned towards Sephiroth and it appeared like she was going in to kiss him but she held herself back and gently patted his arm. "Well, I should get going. Thanks again." The girl hid her face behind her hand and briskly walked away from her friends.

Zack looked after her curiously. "That was weird. She usually never loses her card. I wonder how it ended up here."

Sephiroth crossed his arms and laughed to himself. As always, the boy was clueless. However, Cloud on the on the other hands was able to put two and two together and without a moments pause blurted out. "You're sleeping with her aren't you sir?"

Zack's jaw about hit the floor as his head snapped to face his younger companion. Sephiroth never even flinched.

"CLOUD??!! What a ridiculous thing to say! They are not sleeping together right sir?" He looked hopefully over to his superior officer but he received nothing but silence. "Right sir?" he asked again nervously. Again there was no reply but the corners of the silver haired man's mouth slowly began to curl upwards. "Oh God!" Zack's eyes went wide and his lips morphed into a pout. He looked as if he had just witnessed someone stepping on a kitten. "Oh god you are aren't you!!?? You're doing…naughty things to my Shazzberry?!"

"Twice last night actually." Sephiroth said nonchalantly. Yes, he knew it was cruel but it was just in his nature to pick on the poor lad.

"How could she?" Zack said as he stared sadly at the ground.

"Well, I'd tell you," said Sephiroth as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, "But you don't look like the type that could handle the details." He roughly patted Zack and walked inside. "Come on boys, we have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

"Zack, I don't think I should be here?" said a very nervous Cloud as Zack dragged him out the elevator and on to the gleaming tile floors of the corporate offices.

"Don't worry about it. I'm allowed up here and you're like my guest or something. It will be fine." Zack said as he made a bee line towards Shazz's office.

"Ok let me rephrase that. I DON'Twant to be here." Could stopped and pulled the arm of his older lover to get him to stop as well.

"What's the problem?"

"I don't want to be a part of your suicidal rampage against Shazz."

"What? It's not a rampage; I just want to talk to her a little that's all." Cloud wasn't buying into it for a second. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared relentlessly at his lover. "OK fine! If it will put your mind at ease, I'll let you do most of the talking."

"Fine, just as long as there is no yelling."

"Fine." Zack turned and opened the door to Shazz's office and no sooner did he put one foot inside the office he yelled, "Shazz! I need to talk to you!"

Cloud slapped a hand against his forehead and shook it in embarrassment. _"Well so much for that." _he thought to himself as he followed his out of control friend.

Shazz looked up from her paper work and smiled warmly at the two men that walked in. "Zack, Cloud, Hi. You two are a little early for lunch aren't you?"

"Don't you hi me missy. I want to know why you lied to me?!"

"Lied? What are you talking about?"

"You and Sephiroth! Oh yeah I know what you two are doing behind closed doors."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Would you keep it down?" She said in a hushed but aggravated tone. She pointed to Rufus's office to indicated that he was still in there. "Look Zack, I never told you about Sephiroth so technically I didn't lie to you."

"Whatever Shazz. Stop playing your little word games and just own up to the fact that you neglected to share something very important with your best friend!"

Cloud stood uncomfortably in the background while the two continued to argue. He thought about stepping in and breaking up the fight but, he was afraid he would catch the wrath from both parties.

"Oh you're right Zack." Shazz's voice was beginning to raise a little bit higher than a whisper. "You know I love it when you come after me like a crazed overprotective parent and yell at me as if I were 12 years old. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I plan on sleeping with a lot more guys just so we can have this conversation every freakin day!"

Zack's eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "Don't you sass me young lady." he said as he pointed a finger in her face.

"Ahhhhhh Zack! God I could just strang….." Shazz was interrupted by the sound of heavy oak doors being opened. Zack and Cloud quickly stood at attention and Shazz looked up nervously at him. "Sorry sir. Did we disturb you?"

"No not at all. I just heard Mr. Fair out here and decided that now is as good a time as any to have a little chat with him." He looked at Zack and smiled. "Please, if you would join me in my office."

"Yes Sir." Zack walked over towards the open doors when he was stopped by Rufus.

"Well now, it seems that we have a guest." Rufus's icy blue eyes fixated upon Cloud

"My apologies Sir. He's with me." replied Zack very respectfully

"Oh is he now? Who are you Soldier?"

"Second Class SOLDIER Could Strife sir and if I may respectfully ask that I stay and wait with the lovely Miss Heart till you are done talking with Zack."

Both Zack and Rufus raised a curious eyebrow at the blonde's comment, but a small smile spread across Shazz's lips.

"Very well." Rufus acknowledged. "That is, if it's alright with Miss. Heart."

"It would be my pleasure sir." Rufus was clearly not pleased by Shazz's response and quickly headed back into his office. Zack followed suit, but not before he glared at both Cloud and Shazz.

Cloud took a seat in front of Shazz's desk and the both of them giggled softly.

"Wow that took a lot of balls to talk like that in front of the big boss man." Shazz remarked rather amused.

"I know, it was the least I could do…you know…after what I said about you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know…what I said in the locker room."

"Oh, the whole bitch thing?" Shazz revealed a warm smile that put Cloud at ease. "Look, you don't have to worry about that. I know how I come across to people so; I don't blame you for making that assumption."

"But still…I didn't even know you and I had no right to say that."

Shazz's brown eyes became soft and warm and her expression was relaxed. Cloud couldn't help but notice how pretty she became when she her guard down. "How much has Zack told you about me?" She asked light heartedly

"Enough to make me feel completely guilty."

"Well aren't you sweet, but there is no need to worry yourself. The fact that you are with Zack and are making him happy, that's enough for me to forgive you in all things."

The spiky haired boy blushed. He wasn't expecting Shazz to say something like that. "Er…uh…thank you Shazz." muttered Cloud as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Cloud; there is no need to thank me either. Being with Zack means that you have been adopted into our very dysfunctional family and that means that I will always have your best interest at heart. That also means that you are entitled to the perks of having a friend in corporate. So if you need more vacation time or maybe you need a little smudge erased from your record, I've got your back." she then gave Cloud a reassuring wink.

The blue eyed youth smiled sweetly at the girl across from him. He was touched that her love for Zack would spread over to him and he knew he could get used to this feeling.

"Shazz, I want you to know that I'll do what I can to help you too. In fact, I did try and stop Zack from coming up here."

"It was damn near impossible wasn't it?"

"Yeah, he can be pretty stubborn. I don't know why he got so upset about you being with someone. I mean, it's really none of his business."

Shazz's heart melted. "Awwwwwww thanks Cloud. I feel the same way. I honestly think Zack has this hero complex and he has taken it way overboard. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that he wants to protect me, but I don't need to be protected from everything, especially if it's something I want." A faint hint of pink crept on to her cheeks as her minded drifted to the night before.

"So how long has this been going on, you know with Sephiroth?" enquired Cloud.

"Not long and between you and me, I don't think its anything to serious either. It's just…been awhile sense I've been with someone like that and he's…."

Shazz quickly shut up when she heard the door opening again. Zack was already mad at her for seeing the guy and she was sure he didn't want to hear about how amazing the sex was.

Surprisingly enough, Zack walked out with a smile on his face. "Good news Cloud. We have been put on a mission to Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim? Where's that?" asked Shazz

"Well it's the home town of my boy right here." Zack wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist and pulled him close.

"Oh I see." replied Shazz playfully. "You're going to meet the in-laws."

Zack smiled his infamous mischievous grin. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm maybe?" and gave Cloud a quick peck on the lips. The boy's face went bright red and he quickly bushed the raven haired imp off him. "Well, on that note, we should be going. I have to tell Sephiroth about the mission anyway." Shazz was relieved that this good news made Zack forget about their little issue.

The friends said their good byes and made plans to meet up in a few hours for their lunch break. As they were walking out the door, Zack heard Rufus's voice from behind him.

"Shasta, can I see you in my office."

Zack stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to look at Rufus. He watched as Shazz disappeared into the black of the room and a wicked smirk formed on Rufus's thin lips. Zack's blue eyes blazed with mako energy as his body began to move towards the man in the three piece suit.

"Zack don't." Cloud said as he gripped the arm of his older companion. Rufus scoffed at Zack's temper and his smile grew wider. He knew it was killing the poor boy to know that he would be alone with his precious Shazz. Rufus waived as he walked into this office and closed the doors behind him.

Zack war furious. He knew Rufus did this on purpose and his gut was telling him to go in there a make sure Shazz was alright. But Cloud had a good grip on his arm and the softness that the boy was using in his tone put the man at ease.

"Zack come on. If you go storming in there it will just make things worse. It will be ok."

The first class soldier calmed down and looked at the worry in the baby blues of his lover. Cloud took his hand and he aloud the boy to lead him out of the office.

* * *

In the dimly lit office, Rufus Shinra paced back and forth from behind his desk. Shazz's body was shaking but he wouldn't allow Rufus the chance to see her weak. She straightened up and tried to hide her fear as best she could.

"Shasta, you're frequent visitors has really effected your work." Said Rufus sternly

"My work? Sir with all due respect I can't see how my work has suffered because of Zack's visits. I do all that you ask of me and more. I turn everything in on time, make sure all forms are filled out correctly, schedule all your important meets, and still I find time to run your errands. I don't see how…."

"I'm not talking about your quality of work Shazz I'm talking about your conduct." he angrily interrupted

"Conduct?" Shazz was confused. She couldn't recall a time where she had broken any rules.

"We have standards here at corporate Miss. Heart. Standards that I have let fall by the waste side in order to keep you happy. Incase you haven't noticed Shazz, SOLDIER works for us. They are in no way our equals and certainly not our guests. Zack was already an eyesore but now you are letting others waltz up here. This is unacceptable! Do you have any idea how your actions reflect on me!?"

Shazz's confidence was slowly shrinking. It wasn't new for her to have Rufus raise his voice to her, but he has never been this upset. She hated it.

"It doesn't reflect well on you sir." was the girls timid reply.

"Exactly. Shasta when you are working here you are on my time. MINE." Rufus's fist came down hard upon his desk and it made Shazz jump. "From now on I expect you to stop making such a pariah out of yourself and start acting accordingly with the esteem this position has granted you. From this moment on, your visitation rights have been revoked. Do I make myself clear!?"

"Transparently Sir." came the soft whimper of a defeated Shazz.

"Good, now get back to work."


	8. A Well Deserved Break

well now who here is ready for some laughter and enough mushy stuff that could make your teeth rot and fall right out of your head. I know i'm game! WOOT WOOT! ^_^

* * *

"God this sucks!" exclaimed a very irritated Zack as he slumped down into the corner booth of his favorite bar. Cloud took a seat right next to him as Shazz sat across from them.

It had been two weeks since the friends had the chance to see each other since their banishment from corporate. Zack and Cloud had been busy getting ready for the mission and Shazz was being detained by whatever Rufus had planned for her each day.

"Tell me about it." the blonde piped in. "It's so generous of Rufus to let you out early the day before we have to leave."

"I know right? And who said the man was heartless." she said with a roll of her eyes and the two men snickered.

The same pretty waitress came by the table and right away she recognized her regular customers. "Let me guess, four beers right?" Zack smiled and winked.

"That's correct."

The girl giggled flirtatiously and batted her eyes at Zack. Cloud quickly took notice and Charlie horsed Zack underneath the table. The older man winced at the pain and he could feel daggers coming from those baby blue eyes.

"Ok and what can I get for you Miss."

"Ummmm make me a sex on the beach and let's follow that with a round of tequila shots." The girl nodded and told them she would be right back with their drinks.

"Geez Shazz, what's the shots for?" asked Zack.

"Don't worry about it. You'll see when we get there."

No sooner than she said that, the waitress brought over four bottles of beer and she sat down a shot glass in front of each of them. "I'll be back with you drink Miss."

"That's fine." The waitress walked away and Shazz took the shot glass in her hand and raised it up for a toast. The boys quickly followed her lead. "Here's to our one night of freedom boys. Let us enjoy it while it lasts."

"Here here." Chimed in Zack and the three clanked their glasses and downed the burning liquid. They slammed their shots down on the table and poor Cloud started to cough.

Zack began to laugh. "Can't you hold your liquor there kid."

"This is my first time with tequila…_cough cough…_sorry that I'm not an expert drinker like you."

The waitress came and went with Shazz's drink and she took a long sip off it. The boys stared at her in amazement and she cold feel their eye's upon her. She looked up from her glass and smiled.

"Hey don't judge me. I think I deserve a drink after what I've been through." There was no argument there.

"So Shazz, what was it that got Rufus's panties all in a twist?" Enquired the black haired soldier after taking a few quick swigs of his drink.

"He's jealous I suppose."

"Yeah but what else is new. He's been jealous of me for sometime now. I don't see why all of a sudden it's such a big deal."

"Well since I was in the office that day," said Cloud "I think he figures Shazz is banging both of us now."

Shazz started to laugh hysterically. "You're probably right Cloud, but you know, whatever. Let him think what he wants." Shazz took another sip of her drink when she noticed that Zack was being quiet. He looked as if he was contemplating something. "Zack? What is going through that foul little mind of yours?"

"Well, I was just thinking…"

"Oh god alert the press! Zack is thinking?" shouted the brown eyed girl

"Oh hahaha" retorted Zack sarcastically "I'm being serious here. I mean…if Rufus already thinks that were are sleeping together…why not make it reality."

Both Shazz and Cloud cocked in eyebrow at that statement. He had only drunk half a beer. Could he really be drunk already?

Shazz cleared her throat. "Uhhhh no because you don't like me like that?"

"I never said that I didn't either. Just hear me out. First of all, I find you attractive. Second, we've known each other for a long time and feel that there would be no awkwardness between us if something should happen. Finally, one thing that Cloud and I have in common is that we are pretty adventurous and we both kind of thought that it would be pretty awesome if you would join us sometime.

Shazz could feel the heart rising in her cheeks. Her eyes shot down towards the floor and it seemed as if she couldn't control the volume of her voice. "Zack what a ridiculous thing to say. I can't believe you."

"Oh no he's right." said Cloud casually. "I'm all for it actually."

Shazz shot Cloud a hopeless look. "Oh no, he's corrupted your innocent little brain hasn't he?"

"Maybe?" Cloud smiled at Zack and of course the older man returned his smile with a kiss.

"Well, as much as I appreciate the offer, I must decline on the grounds of it being to creepy."

Cloud laughed and Shazz noticed a new spark in the spiky haired boy's eyes. It was almost coy the way he looked at her now. "Oh I know why you won't join us Shazz. Could it be because there's another person in mind?"

Shazz returned the sentiment with a wicked grin of her own. "That's right, there is someone else. Trust me, you two boys might be fun, but he is more man than I can handle."

"Oh oh snap." chuckled Cloud as her raised his hand and Shazz slapped him a high five.

Shazz giggled at her own little joke, but of course, Zack was less than amused.

"Aww, what's wrong Zack?" She asked as she placed her hand on top of Zack's. "Was it too soon?"

"Let's just change the subject" he said with pout.

"Come on Zackary! Don't be like that. Not on a night like tonight." he wasn't answering her. "Would it help if I bought another round of shots?"

The corner of Zack's mouth curled up. "Well, that would be a start.

"Waitress!" Shazz yelled as she snapped her fingers and just like that the three started laughing and joking around like they hadn't a care in the world. Alcohol and good company seemed to wash away all worries past, present, future and it was just one of those moments that they knew they would carry around with them forever.

* * *

Blissfully buzzed, the three friends took a cab to Shazz's place. When they stepped out of the car, Cloud started that the surroundings in amazement. It's not like the streets were paved in gold or anything, he was just excited to see the streets were actually paved. This was definitely the ritzy part of Midgar. Each lawn was finally manicured and the house could fit three of his inside them.

Shazz lived in a condo and the building was a made with a beautiful alabaster stone that sparkled in the moonlight. They followed her to her front door where she fumbled with her keys to unlock it. When she finally managed to get the door open, Cloud was stunned at how pristine her place was. The same white brick made up her inside walls of the tow story home and the cherry hardwood floors had a sheen to them that you could see your refection.

The kitchen had black and white marble counter tops and sleek silver appliances. Her furniture was a pearly white and there was a small but elegant chandelier that hung in the middle of the room.

"Holy crap Shazz," Cloud murmured in complete wonderment. "Your place is amazing."

"Thanks, I guess this is what you get when you become Rufus's bitch."

Zack's nose crinkled. "Oh Shazz don't say that, it makes my skin crawl."

"Sorry." Shazz then motioned for them to follow her upstairs where double doors were opened to reveal a master bedroom. This room had the same hard would floors that had beautiful cream colored rugs. The cozy canopy bed set center of the room and to the west was a sliding door that led out to a spacious balcony.

Shazz went in to her closet and pulled out a ton of blankets and comforters and then slid open the doors to the balcony.

"Sometimes Zack and I spend the night out on my deck before he goes on a mission so I think it's only fitting that you become part of this tradition." Shazz smiled brightly as she stepped outside. She laid the blankets out as Zack and Cloud took off their boots. "Ok I'll be right back; I'm going to change into something more comfortable. Oh Zack I still have some of your clothes here from previous times if you and Cloud want to rummage through that. They're in the linen closet in the bathroom."

Shazz disappeared in her closet as Zack and Cloud went into the bathroom. Zack was the first one out, it never took him long to get out his clothes. Shazz walked out with a pair of old baggy sweats and hair tied back in a pony tail. She walked out to her balcony to find her oldest friend lying on the blankets and gazing up a the stars.

"Wow, I didn't think I would find you out here this quickly. I thought you and Cloud would have a quick little tryst or something."

Zack met her gaze and he grinned. "Nah… I would never disrespect your home like that."

She kindly returned the smile and went to sit next to Zack. They sat there in a comfortable silence for a while when Shazz broke it softly. "Zack, I'm worried about you."

The first class soldier turn his head curiously towards the girl. "What?"

"Zack, I've heard such awful things about that reactor. The monsters there are so dangerous and I don't want…"

"Come here." said Zack as he reached out and scooped Shazz up in his arms. She lay beside him now, resting her head on his chest as he arms were wrapped around her. "I've told you to not worry about me when I'm away. It puts my mind in a bad place and I can't focus. I need you to be strong whenever I can't be by your side."

"I know, but I can't help it. I've grown quite fond of you over the years." both of them lightly chuckled

"Really?" Zack replied "And all this time I thought you were only my friend out of pity." He could feel Shazz laugh a little but he could tell she was holding back her tears. He began to stroke her hair as the girl held him tightly. "It will be alright Shazzberry. You remember our promise don't you?"

"Yeah."

"And has it ever been broken?"

"No."

"Then there is no need to worry so much."

"But it's not just you Zack; I'm worried about Cloud too." At this moment Cloud had walked out the bathroom and when he heard his name he stopped. He silently waited by the door for the two to finish their conversation. "I know we haven't known each other long but, I care deeply for that boy. It's like he has become this piece to our puzzle that we never knew we had and if we were to loose him, the picture could never be complete. You know what I mean."

Zack sighed. "I know exactly what you mean. Everything has changed. Soldier was my life and now my priorities have completely changed. Cloud is everything; I mean I would gladly sign my discharge papers if it meant keeping him.

"Well in that case, you better protect that boy when you leave tomorrow or I'll have to come there and make it happen myself."

Cloud stood there and listen to their soft laughter. He felt his heart beating a mile a minute and he could feel a warmness engulf his body. Never in his life had he felt such an overwhelming amount of love fall upon him and he vowed right then and there, to protect those two as best as he could because Zack was his heart and Shazz was his soul. He could not live without the other.

"Hey you guys sorry it took me so long." said Cloud with a smile, trying not to make it obvious that he was eaves dropping.

"No worries babe, come over and pull up a blanket." Cloud went on the other side of Zack and nuzzled close to him. Zack now had one arm around his beloved and one around his precious friend. "So uhh are we sure we don't want this whole threesome thing?"

Cloud lightly slapped his lover's chest. "You are terrible you know that."

Zack gave his signature goofy grin and turned towards Shazz to gauge her reaction but she was fast asleep. Her little fingers clutching his shirt and head resting on his chest. He kissed the top of her and turned and tenderly kissed the lips of his younger lover. "I'm going to take her silence as a maybe."

* * *

Ok so how many teeth have you lost....oh that many huh. Well in that case i'm going to add a disclaimer saying that i am in no way responsible for loss of teeth due to extreme sweetness...i did warn you before hand. So don't send me your dental bills ^_^ lol oh you know i love you guys, toothless or not, my readers are are pretty much the shiz ^_^ thanks for staying with me this far


	9. Not Our Last Embrace

So before i start this chapter i want to give credit to the very talented singer/songwriter Vienna Teng whose lyrics will be featured in this story. The song is call Last Snowfall and i just thought it fit perfectly in with this chapter.

* * *

Cloud's eyes slowly opened as he heard a phone ringing. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and rolled over to find that Zack had even stirred, though the phone was going off like crazy. He laid a gentle kiss on Zack's closed eyelids and snaked his way out from under his lover's arms.

The sun was just starting to rise and Midgar's sky was danced with purple and orange light. Cloud noticed the clock on the wall read 6:00 a.m. as he walked into the house and over to the night stand where a sleek white phone continued to right.

"Hello Miss. Heart's residence." Said Cloud as he picked up the phone.

"Cloud?" came a familiar voice on the receiver.

"Shazz?"

"Oh thank god it's you. I thought I would just call to make sure you two were up so you won't be late to work."

"Well thank you…hey wait a second…are you at Shinra already?"

"Yeah I had uhhh…some things to get ready for the trip. I'll see you later Cloud bye." Shazz quickly hung up the phone and all Cloud could do was smile. He placed the receiver back on the hook and shook his head.

"_Oh Shazz, you are so lucky I picked up the phone because if Zack new you snuck out early for a little time with Sephiroth, he would go nuts."_

"Hey. Who was that?" came a sleepy voice behind him. The blonde haired boy turned around to find a half awake Zack standing in the doorway scratching his chest.

"Oh…uhh…it was Shazz. She had to be at work early this morning so he was just calling us to make sure we were up."

"Ohhhhhhhhh that's nice." he yawned as he stretched out his arms. "I supposed that means that we should hop in the shower and get ready?" Zack disappeared in to the bathroom and Cloud had a curious look on his face. Apparently fooling around in Shazz's house was off limits, but the show was ok? That didn't seem right. "Hey! Are you coming or not?" called Zack as he poked his head out of the door."

Cloud smiled and headed towards the bathroom. Like hell he was going to object to a little fun this morning.

* * *

Zack and Cloud arrived at the loading dock about fifteen minutes before they had to depart. The enormous garage smelled of diesel, oil, fumes, and sweat. Mechanics were just finishing up their final inspections at the massive tank like trucks and it looked like everything was ready to go.

Someone gave a shout to open the doors and there was loud clanking noise as chains were being wound up and the metal doors slowly began to rise.

As the morning sun started to pour into the dismal garage, Zack felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's get going boys, we have a long road ahead of us." said Sephiroth as he griped the boy's shoulder before he walked past him towards the truck.

Zack tilted his head and studied his superior officer curiously. It seemed that the silver haired hero had a strange half smile on his face when he walked on by.

"Zack! Cloud!" the two boys turned their heads towards the feminine figure coming towards them. "I'm glad that I made it here before you left."

A light bulb went off in Zack's head and he realized the reason for Sephiroth's good mood. The girl ran up and stood in front of her best friend, hair mussed and her lip stick was smeared though you could tell he had tried to clean up before she came. "Oh there's my sweet girl…by the way, you missed a button."

Shazz's face went red as she looked down at her blouse. She quickly fastened the last of the buttons and looked back up into cerulean eyes. "Sorry." she replied meekly.

She was expecting to get a long lecture from her friend but instead, he just rolled his eyes and smiled. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and crush her tightly to his chest. "You don't have to be sorry Shazz. I know that you're a big girl with….big girl needs and I just have to accept it."

A grin spread across Shazz's pink lips as her arms wound themselves around Zack's waist. "Thank you Zack, but I know you don't mean it. You just don't want to fight before you have to leave."

"You don't either."

"That's very true." Shazz said as she rested her head against Zack's chest and he lay his chin atop her head.

_If this were the last snow fall_

_No more halos on evergreens_

_If this were my last glimpse of winter_

_What would these eyes see?_

Cloud watched as his lover and dear friend hold on to one another. Despite the noise of truck engines and yelling voices, they seemed content in a moment all their own. He saw Zack bend his head closer to Shazz's ear where he whispered something that the youth couldn't quite make out thought it made Shazz's smile widen. She in return whispered something into his lover's ear and he nodded his head and kissed her on the cheek.

They stopped holding each other, though they actually never let each other go till the very last second. Their hands slowly parted as Zack started walking towards the Cloud. "Hey Cloud, you better hurry and say your good byes. We are leaving in five." he said is passing as he went to load his things in the truck.

Shazz sauntered over to the boy with the brightest smile on her face. "So Cloud, this is big day for you huh. First big mission…."

"Shazz." interrupted Cloud in a serious tone. Shazz's smile left of a brief moment but it bounced back just as soft as before.

"Are you ok?"

"Shazz I have to tell you something important and I have to do it now before I leave."

"Ok….go ahead." Shazz quickly changed her demeanor to match Cloud's. He made it obvious that what he had to say was no laughing matter.

Cloud took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. His eyes looked unto hers and even though he appeared confident, his hands still shook slightly. "Shazz, I need you to know that you are now a vital part of my life and I want you to know that if you ever need anything, you can count on me. If you should ever find yourself without Zack, please know that I will protect you just as he does. I promise you that."

Shazz stood there, nothing moved on the girl except for a solitary tear that managed to escape her deep chocolate eyes. "You stupid boy…you've gone and made me cry." was all she uttered.

"Shazz, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a pair of strong thin arms wrap around his neck and a naturally his arms caught the small body that was now pressing up against his.

_If this were the last slow curling_

_Of your fingers in my palm_

_If this were the last I felt you breathing_

_How would I carry on?_

"Cloud, I make this promise with Zack every time before he leaves on a mission and it's one I would like to make with you. First I need you to promise me that you will stay safe and that you'll be coming home." Cloud could here her tiny voice in his ear.

"I promise." the boy replied

"No, I need to hear you say it, all of it."

"Shazz I promise to stay safe and I promise to come home."

Shazz then let him go and though she had a smile on her face, her eyes glittered with the tears she was desperately holding back. "And I promise to stay strong for you and no matter how long it takes; I will be here waiting when you return." She reached up and cupped the youth's face in her hands. She pulled him towards her and she kissed his forehead.

"Come on Cloud! The bus is leaving with you!" Shazz and Cloud laughed as they both new it was Zack that was yelling at him. He was as impatient as ever. They hugged one more time and he turned heal and ran to the truck.

The engine roared as the truck was thrown into gear. Zack and Cloud waved wildly at Shazz as they started to pull away. The girl waved and blew kisses back at her boys. She stayed and watched the noisy vehicle until it was out of site and as she turned to head back out of the garage, another tear managed to trickle down her cheek.

She quickly wiped it away and chuckled to herself. She couldn't understand why this good bye was being so hard on her. She has gone through this a thousand times with Zack and he always returned home. They had a promise to keep.

_This is not the last snowfall_

_Not our last embrace_

_But if I were that kind of grateful_

_What would I try to say?_

* * *

To: Shasta Heart

From: Zack Fair

Subject: We've made it!!

Hey Shazz,

I just wanted to let you know that we made here in Nibelheim in record time.

I have to admit that this town I just as small as he said it was but the people here

are really friendly. So far things are going smoothly. I mean we had a few run ins

with a few monsters, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. You know how amazing

I am. But that's not the good news; the real good news is that I'm supposed to

meet Cloud and his mother for lunch tomorrow!! Man how hot would it be

to miss around with him in his old room! Lol I know I'm awful. Anyways,

I hope things back at base are going good with you. I've been praying that Rufus hasn't

done anything to you since I've been gone. I miss you and hope to hear from you soon.

Love ya,

Zack

To: Zack Fair

From: Shasta Heart

Subject: Re: We've made it!!

Hi Zack,

I'm so glad you let me know you made it safely. Trust me it was a load off my mind.

you don't have to worry about Rufus or anything; he's been pretty preoccupied with work

lately so he hasn't done much harassing in the past few days. Though the nights have

been getting later. Yet none of this really matters when it compares to your news. So you

are really going to meet the in-laws huh…you better be on your best behavior Zack. If

you do anything inappropriate and embarrass Cloud I will personally come down there

and kick your ass! I miss you tons so hurry home ^_^!

XOXOX,

Shazz

To: Shasta Heart

From: Cloud Strife

Subject: Hey

Hi ya Shazz,

I'm just writing to tell you that I wish you were here. You're the only person I know that

can keep Zack in line. I just can't seem to tell him no. Yesterday I brought him home to

meet my mom and he like picked her up and hugged her so tight I thought he would

squeeze her to death. Needless to say I was pretty embarrassed but not as embarrassed as

I was when he convinced me to fool around with him in my old room while mom was

downstairs. Also, I wanted to tell you that Zack's been pestering Sephiroth about you and

believe that if the monsters don't kill him, Sephiroth will. So you might want to tell him

to cool his jets.

Yours Truly,

Cloud

To: Cloud Strife

From: Shasta Heart

Subject: Re: Hey

My darling Cloud,

I'm so sorry about Zack. I warned him that if he did anything to embarrass you I would

beat his butt! I promise you when he returns I will give him a good swift kick, for you

and for me. I can't believe that he would care so much about me and Sephiroth when he's

he's on a freaking mission. Please keep him focused as best you can. I can't

really have him dying on me. Lol, it's funny you know. All this time I was

lecturing Zack to protect you when I see it's the other way around. Well I hope you are

keeping yourself safe sweetheart. I miss you.

XOXOX,

Shazz

To: Shasta Heart

From: Sephiroth

Subject: none

Shazz,

I thought I should send you something to let you know that everything in Nibelheim is

going well. Also, I wanted to warn you that for the time that I'm gone you better take the

time to rest, because when I return, you'll be doing nothing but looking up at my ceiling.

To: Sephiroth

From: Shasta Heart

Subject: Re: none

Sephiroth,

You'd better be careful what you send me. You do know I check my email at

work? And what do you mean that I'll be looking at the ceiling? I could just be just as

sexually frustrated as you from our absence so maybe you should prepare yourself for

your homecoming.

To: Shasta Heart

From: Sephiroth

Subject: Re: none

Shazz,

I was just thinking that maybe when I get home we should take things slow. You know,

just see where our relationship takes us. I think it's time we got serious.

To: Sephiroth

From: Shasta Heart

Subject: Re: none

Sephiroth,

I don't mean to sound rude but what are you talking about? We've past slow like weeks

ago. Where is this coming from?

To: Shasta Heart

From: Sephiroth

Subject: Re: none

Shazz,

I never sent you that last email. I think I very curious pup has broken into my email

To: Zack Fair

From: Shasta Heart

Subject: DAMMIT ZACK

I know you broke into Sephiroth's email! WTF!! You should be worried about your well being

And not my love life! You are so lucky I'm not there!

To: Shasta Heart

From: Zack Fair

Subject: sorry

Dearest Shazz,

Ok you caught me, but just know I only did it for your sake. If you're going to be with

someone, it should be a committed relationship. I mean I know it won't be exactly like me

and Cloud's but if you try hard, I'm sure you'll get there. I just want you to be happy,

that's all. Well I better get to bed, we are waking up early and making our way to the

reactor tomorrow so I need to be well rested. I know I have quite the fight ahead of me.

II'll tell you how it went when I get back.

Love always,

Zack

* * *

Shazz clicked out of her email. This was the last email she had received from Zack, from either of them. She then flipped open her phone and she had no missed calls. With a heavy sigh she shut her phone and put it back in her purse.

This was the fourth day that she had heard nothing from anyone, not even Rufus. Perhaps the reactor was further away from Nibelheim than she thought. Shazz glanced over to the clock and it read 8:15 p.m. She assumed that Rufus wasn't going to come put and tell her to go home again so she turned off her computer and picked up her purse.

As she was about to leave she heard the familiar creak of the sturdy oak doors opening. I hand was held out of the darkness of the room. "Shazz, deliver this file to the Turk's office right away."


	10. Just Move

So i have to be honest, i liked the fact of incorporating music in with my writing. So i've deiced to just share with you the music that inspires me to write my chapters because well, i just think is fun lol. Today's chapter was brought to you by "Run" by snow patrol. listen to it while you read...it's a good time ^_^ I hope you enjoy your read today dears

* * *

Shazz took hold of the envelope and the door closed as quickly as it was opened. She shuffled the bulky file in her hands till she found the label. Her eyes widened as the red what was printed in large red font: CASE REPORT: CONFIDENTIAL.

Dangerous thoughts began to swarm through the poor girls mind. She had delivered plenty of these kinds of papers to the Turks and it never turned out good. Case reports were only filed when and employee of Shinra did something terribly illegal, If an employee or shoulder were to die through unnatural causes, or if a SOLDIER had gone AWOL. With all that she knew, she could help but wonder if such things had happened to Zack and Cloud. Had they run off? Were they hurt…or worse?

Shazz quickly rubbed her forehead as if it were a dry erase board. She hoped that by doing so would get rid of the dark thoughts that illustrated her mind. There were thousands of SOLDIERS that were deployed all over the place; this doesn't necessarily mean that this manila envelope was meant for her boys.

With a shaky foundation of hope, Shazz made her way to the elevator. The Turks office was just a couple floors below hers and it wasn't long before she heard the familiar ding when she reached her destination and the inevitable whoosh of the doors as they opened.

The girl stepped out unto unrecognizable territory. She and been to the Turk's floor many times, but never after hours. The place was dark and hallow. The hallways were lined with a more sturdy but inexpensive tile and small circular florescent lighting figures. Shazz proceeded down the eerie pathway and the sound of her heels clacking was the only noise that accompanied her.

Her eyes then were drawn by the only light that was coming from a door that was left a crack open. She headed towards it, but when she heard voices, she pace slowed down to a creep.

She positioned herself a safe distance from the tiny crevice so that she couldn't be heard or seen. The first voice she heard had a rich baritone quality. It was crisp and stern. "Sir we have no leads as to why Sephiroth as gone missing and we haven't the faintest idea as to where he has run off too. If there were any clues that could have lead us to him they have now turned to ashes right along with that village."

Shazz let out a small gasp. Here notion wasn't has far off as she suspected? Though relieved that Zack and Cloud hadn't been mention, he heart still sank at the prospect of Sephiroth disappearing.

"Even if we can't find him, it's probably all for the best." came a second voice. This one was little bit more high pitched and laced with arrogance. "It is suicidal to go after the guy now. He's on war path!! You saw what he has done to some of our best soldiers?"

Another voice was coming through now, one that Shazz recognized. It was a deep and calm tone that was filled with authority and grace. It was Tseng; she knew from her many visits. "Yes, I know. What has happened to Zack and Cloud is unfortunate but that is why we have to stop him now. If this problem is left alone, who knows who else he will kill and what else he will destroy. Its dangers, but it a case we can't put on the back burner."

"_Zack and Cloud are hurt? Why didn't anybody tell me?" _This thought was stuck on repeat. Her whole body seemed to go numb and the file that she held clutched to her chest slowly slipped through her fingers. When it hit the floor the sound of its crash echoed through the hall.

"Someone's at the door."

Shazz heard a voice coming through the door though she didn't care at the time who said it. She knew she had to run, but her body became like lead. She knew that this information wasn't meant for her ears and if she didn't leave now, Shinra would never allow her to see them. _"Dammit Shazz!! Move!!" _Her body reluctantly listened to her screaming mind and she was running as fast as he could towards the elevator.

Shazz didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that she was being followed. The thumping of boots were trailing right behind her and coming closer by the minute. Her only mission at this point was to make it to the infirmary and in a last minute effort she quickly abandoned her plan to get to the elevator and made a sharp left and headed towards the stairwell.

The cold steal door was insight. She reached out to grab hold of the knob, but her finger tips only brushed it as an arm wrapped around her chest and pulled her away. Her demeanor now turned into a wild animal that had just been snared in a net. He body thrashed as she tried to escape her captors, but the hold on her was pretty tight.

"Holy hell," said an amused voice into her ear, "We have quite the wild on here."

"GOD DAMMIT LET ME GO!!" Shazz yelled at the top of her lungs, tears starting to sting her eyes. In an act of desperation, Shazz reached out behind her and grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked it out of the head of her captor.

"AHHHH SHIT!" Shazz watches as strands of fiery red hair floated to the floor. His grip loosened and the girl made a break for it but it wasn't long before those arms caught her up again. "Hey not so fast. That was a nice little trick you pulled there, but unfortunately for you senorita, I like it rough. Hey Rude! I could use a little help!"

Shazz felt herself being passed over to man who was holding on to her was like a vice. He had her arms pinned at her side and her feet were barely touching the floor. Like a cornered cat, Shazz was going to fight till the very end. She wildly kicked her legs and she came in contact with the taller man's shins several times. He never flinched and his hold on her only tightened.

She continued to twist and turn her body in order to wriggle free and the volume of her voice continued to grow as he screamed to be let go. Suddenly she felt a stabbing pain in her arm. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she could feel something coursing through her veins rapidly.

"There we go. This ought to calm you down." Shazz looked over to the red headed Turk who was holding on to a syringe. Shazz's head was starting to get foggy and her body was slowly becoming limp. If it wasn't for the fact that Rude was holding her up, she would have sunk to the floor

"Hey boss? Who is this little hell cat?"

Shazz's vision was starting to become blurred. She felt as if she was underwater and sound was nothing more than muffled noises. She could tell that the figure of Tseng was present and she could feel his hand under her chin as he lifted her bobbing head.

"This is Miss. Heart." Tseng replied

"No kidding? This is Rufus's girl? Well damn, what do we do with her?"

"Hmmm take her to…"

* * *

But that was all the Shazz managed to hear before the drugs that inhabited her body finally took over and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Radiant mako eyes opened to find themselves behind the Plexiglas of an isolation chamber. His body tingled with the poisonous energy that was being pumped into him. He felt anew, stronger even. His body had been torn to shreds trying to stop Sephiroth, and now the wounds have closed. He glanced to his left to find his beloved, a floating corpse inside another chamber.

Zack mustered up all his strength and struck the glass casing. The cracks slowly spread across the surface and weakened the hard outer shell. He gave it another blow and it shattered as the mako liquid spilled out on to the floor.

He heard the faint beeping of the machines and he knew it was some sort of alarm. He heard footsteps coming closer and he positioned him self for the strike. A man in a white lab coat entered the room and before he had the time to utter a single word Zack hit the man upside this head, knocking him unconscious.

The soldier turned back towards the mako tank and pulled down the lever at its side. The liquid energy began to drain, leaving a green glow on the body. Zack opened the chamber and Cloud's limp body fell right into his arms.

"Whoa," Zack said as he cradled the frail creature in his arms, "You hold your mako as well as you hold your alcohol." He laughed as little as looked into the listless eyes of his young lover. It didn't faze him that Cloud was unresponsive. He knew his friend was in there somewhere and to treat him like a victim seemed to be a defeat. Cloud would evenly snap out it, so until then, he would treat Cloud like he would any other day.

Zack took a quick moment to look around him. I faint shiver crawled up his spine as he realized where he was. This was definitely a Shinra Laboratory. The cold clammy atmosphere and the dark cave like walls made it a very uncomfortable place to be.

"Thank God you're not awake to see where you are friend," said Zack as he began to position Cloud behind him, "I don't think you've ever ventured into the creeptastic sanctuary of the Shinra labs, and hopefully after tonight, you never will."

The older male hoisted Cloud unto his back and started to carry his friend piggy back style. "I know this sounds crazy dear one, but I have to get you out of here. Now that we are in the labs only means that we have outrun our use to SOLDIER. They are no doubt trying to turn us into those poor pitiful creatures we saw back at the reactor and I can't let that happen."

Zack started to make his way through the winding halls of the laboratories. He knew Shinra inside and out so it wasn't hard for him to navigate the corridors and secret escape routes. He carried Cloud with ease as they made their way through the dark halls and he continued to talk with his dearest companion as the approached the exit.

"It will be ok Cloud. We will start a new life. One where we only have to answer to ourselves and we can live together without the rules and restriction of SOLDIER. We wouldn't even have to wait for the weekends to have sex anymore. The world will be our bedroom now. Doesn't that sound amazing?"

Zack could smell the air of the outside world coming through the exit up ahead. The glow of the moonlight was lighting the way and Zack began to pick up the pace. "We're almost there."

Zack opened the heavy earthen door to a small opened field that had had woods right across the way. He was about to step out the door when he suddenly hesitated. He felt like cloud was subconsciously trying to tell him something.

"What's wrong Cloud? Something on your mind? Shazz?" Zack felt a bit exasperated but the hint of smile never faded from his lips. "I know you want to go get her and to be honest, a part of me does too. But in the long run, it would best that we continue our journey without her. If she doesn't know where we are, Shinra will have no reason to harass her. So as of right now, you and I have to go about our lives as if she doesn't exist."

He attempted to get outside the dark corridor again but something continued to hold him back. He sighed as glanced over his shoulder at the sleepy face that rested there. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice mister. You shouldn't fuss over her so much. She's tough old gal that can take care of herself. It's not like we will never see each other again. Somewhere down the line we will meet again. We still have a promise to keep remember?"

Satisfied, Zack made his way through the tall grass of the field and disappeared behind the multitude of trees.

* * *

Shazz's eye's fluttered opened as a bright florescent lights shone into her eyes. She felt groggy and dizzy. She went to reach her hand up to steady her spinning head, but she couldn't move her arm at all. She looked down at her side and noticed that her hands were in restraints. Sleepily she looked about the room and noticed heard the faint beeping of an EKG machine, she could smell the how sterol the room was, and felt the stiff white cotton sheets that she laid in. She knew that she was in the infirmary, how she got there, was a mystery.

"H…h…hello." her voice was weak and barley audible. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello? Anyone?"

A young doctor walked into the room with a smile on his face. "Oh Miss. Heart, you're finally awake?"

He walked over to her side and started to check her pulse. Shazz couldn't help but notice that the young MD was fairly handsome. He Auburn hair was tied back into a pony tail and his green eyes sparkled through the square framed glasses.

"What happened," she asked, still trying to wake up from her drug induced coma, "How long have I been out? Why am I tied to this bed? And where are my clothes?" Shazz noticed that she was wearing won of the very open hospital robes. It made her shiver to know that someone else had undressed her.

The doctor grinned and laughed a little at all her questions. "Well Miss. Heart, it seems that you had a run with a pretty severe case of hysteria. We had to sedate you but unfortunately the dosage you were given was supposed to take down a full grown male, so you were out of it for a couple days. As for the restraints, it's just standard protocol. It doesn't happen often but when most patients wake up from a trauma, their first instinct is to escape. As for your clothes, don't worry, one of the female nurses took care of that."

Shazz just nodded her head and let the doctor finish checking her vitals. "Everything looks good Miss. Heart. I'm going to go ahead and release you from these restraints and whenever you feel ready, you are more than welcome to leave. Just call for a nurse and she'll bring you the discharge papers."

He smiled at her again as he took the clipboard off the front of her bed. As he headed towards the door, Shazz's thoughts were starting to stir. Bits and pieces of the events that took place the night before started to come together.

"Doctor, don't leave here thinking that I don't remember why I was sedated." The young doctor stopped dead in his tracks, sucked in a deep breath, and turned around. He had been prepped by Rufus incase this situation should arrive. "What happened to Zack?"

"I don't think this subject is appropriate for the condition you're…"

"To hell with my condition. Where are they?"

The doctor sighed and he approached the foot of her bed. "Miss. Heart, Zack and Cloud's condition is very fragile. What happen in Nibelheim was tragic. Sephiroth had gone AWOL and in in effort to stop him from leaving, Zack and Cloud were severely wounded. Right now they are being taken care of it our ICU and in their current state, any sort of stimuli would be detrimental to their health. That's why we had to stop you from getting to them Miss. Heart. Who knows what your irrationality could have done to them."

Shazz's eyes were downcast. She sort of felt guilty for acting the way she did. She would have never wanted to do anything to hurt her friends. "When can I see them?"

"As soon as we get any good news. I promise." Shazz nodded her head again. "Take care Miss, Heart, everything will be ok." the doctor waved good bye and walked back out the room. He felt bad about lying to her, but Rufus forbade anyone from telling Shazz the truth about her dearest friends. He had a wait and see plan going on. He was banking on Zack and Cloud returning to Midgar for her.

Shazz rested a couple more hours before she decided to take her leave. Once she left the infirmary, she felt as if everything wasn't going to be ok as the doctor had promised. Though nobody paid her any mind, she felt as if she was in the spotlight.

When she went home that night, she could saw headlights following her home. As she entered her house, she had an eerie feeling that someone had been in here. When she would answer her phone, she noticed there was an underlying hint of static that she had never heard before. It was as if someone had tapped into her phone line.

Work wasn't much of relief either. Places she once had full access to, was now denied to her. Where ever she walked to within the Shinra parameter, she could faintly hear footsteps a safe distance behind her. She noticed that some of the files that had been in her cabinets had gone missing. Most of her computer hard drive had been wiped clean. She couldn't do much on it now but type a few memos and play solitaire.

Weeks had gone by and she hadn't heard a peep out of Rufus except for when he would buzz her on the intercom and tell her to go home. He mainly locked himself up in his office and he rarely had anything for Shazz do to. Some days Shazz would just sit at her desk and wait for the word to be released. It was like she was working in her own little prison cell. It was awful, and upon that, she had received no word yet about the condition of Zack and Cloud. At times she felt that she would go insane.

But on one particular late night as Shazz waited for her usually cue to go home, she received a different message.

The intercom started to buzz and Shazz leaned over and pushed the call button. "Yes sir."

"I need to see you in my office." His voice as gruff and tired and his tone was less than inviting. Shazz heard the other side of the intercom click off and she felt a pang of fear shoot through every bone in her body.

She cautiously opened the heavy oak doors, and walked into the dark unknown.


	11. Broken

Ok so this is kind of a graphic chapter so i don't want to offend anyone so i'll warn you now. Some mood music to listen to with chapter is Black Black heart by David Usher listen to the remix verison if you can. Anywho i'll stop blabbing and let you get to reading

* * *

Shazz's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room and she let at a small gasp as the utter disarray of the office. There were files and documents scattered all over the floor, furniture lay topsy- turvy, and vases and lamp lights were shattered.

Her gaze went towards the enormous bay window that looked out over Shinra Inc. Right now, the eerie glow of the reactors below was the only think providing light. However, the sight was the office wasn't the only thing that caught the girl by surprise. Rufus Shinra stood in her view, looking unkempt and tired. His hair hung wildly about his face, his delicate features now seemed gaunt, and his brilliant eyes were listless. He appeared as if he hadn't eaten or slept in weeks.

The timid young lady was at a loss. Rufus stood there, dangerously silent. Should she speak up to let him know she was there? He must have known? Didn't he hear the door shutting behind her when she went in?

"Shazz" His voice was gravely and weary.

Immediately Shazz popped out of her contemplation and answered promptly. "Yes sir."

"Where are they?" he said in the same lethargic tone.

Shazz stood confused. She waited a while in hopes that he would elaborate on the question, but he never said another word. "Who Sir?"

"Who indeed? A reply I expected from someone as simple minded as you. Fine, shall I rephrase it in another way? Zack and Cloud, where are they?" Though the range of his voice never changed, the malice behind those words tore at Shazz.

She couldn't quite grasp the situation. Shouldn't Rufus already know about Zack and Cloud? Is it possible that no one within Shinra informed him?

"Well sir, you see…they're in the ICU. Their war injuries were extensive and…."

Shazz was interrupted by a wicked chuckle coming from her boss. She grimaced at his reaction. In no way were these circumstances funny, yet he continued to laugh as he started to approach her. "Shazz your ignorance is truly astounding. You still don't get it do you? That whole hospital story was a farce. Those two boys aren't being cared for, they're AWOL. I just had people tell you that so that I could keep you near, in hopes that your dear friends would come back for you"

Shazz's eyes drifted towards the floor. _"Zack…Cloud…missing? AWOL? Is this for real?"_ The poor girls head was spinning. Why was this the first time she had even heard anything about it?

"Such a look on your face Shazz," came the mocking tone of the older man. "It's so sad and confused. I can make it go away. Just tell me where they are, and I will bring them back to you."

"I don't know…where they are." Shazz whispered without so much as a glance up.

"Excuse me? I didn't quite here you?"

This time, her head snapped up and brown eyes locked with the raging blue of Rufus's. "I said I don't know where…"

Before the last word escaped her mouth, she felt a hard hand come in contact with her cheek. Her head turned in the direction and remained frozen. Slowly, Shazz raised her hand and tenderly touched the side of her face. She could feel the warm skin where he had struck her and the tears started to cloud her vision.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?!" The blonde haired man screamed while his hand was still raised to her. "Do you actually expect me to believe that the people you hold so dear would leave without even telling you?! Don't play games with me little girl because I can tell you now that Shinra doesn't look too kindly upon traitors. I don't want to see it go that far so I'm going to give you another chance to tell me the truth."

Shazz's face was still turned away from him, her mind racing. Inch by inch the events of the past weeks started to move into a steady stream of clarity. The lack of communication between her and the boys, being drugged, and being watched. It was all starting to make a little bit of sense. What happened at Nibelheim must have been far worse than the story that was presented to her. So bad that her beloved friends had to flee. So terrible that they couldn't tell her where they were going. Surely, the information they knew could end their lives and in telling her would endanger her life as well.

Though the picture was hazy, but Shazz understood why Zack and Cloud needed to leave. Even though it upset her to be left in dark about their departure, she knew they did it in hopes that it would protect her. Courage started to bubble in her belly. Slowly she lowered her he hand back to her side and turned back to face Rufus. She knew she couldn't do a lot, but it was now or never. She had to be strong for their sake.

"Well?" snapped an impatient Rufus.

"As I said before, I don't know where they are." Her voice was low but determined and her sweet brown eyes shone auburn due to the fire behind them. "Even If I did know, do you think I would have stayed here? Do you honestly believe that I would be wasting time here arguing with you, when I could be out there looking for them?! You should think twice who you're calling a fool because even after having me followed and under surveillance 24/7 you still can't seem to them!!"

Shazz felt the back of his hand strike the side of her face, this time was much harder than then the last and it sent her sprawling to the floor. "You ungrateful bitch!" She heard him shouting as she came down hard on her right shoulder. Moaning at the pain shooting through her arm, she rolled over on to her stomach. Her tongue grazed her button lip where she tasted blood. She knew he must of split her lip.

Her instincts told her to not lye around and wait for another blow so she bent her hands at her sides as if she was doing a push up and she forced herself up on her knees. Rufus on the other hand, was the one that helped her to her feet. His hand tangled itself in her hair and pulled up harshly, forcing the girl to stand.

Shazz wrapped her fingers around the man's wrist and dug her nails into his skin. He pulled her close to him and she could feel his other arm snake around her waist and held her tightly. "How dare you talk to me like that!" he shouted hysterically. "After everything I've done for you! I took you from being a sewer rat and turning you into a person of prestige, and this is how you repay me!! By spouting these lies!" He jerked his hand roughly, almost pulling out the girl's hair.

She let out a scream as the pain in her skull was unbearable. Tears stung her eyes as she fought to loosen his grip. "It doesn't matter if I'm telling the truth or a lie. You would never believe either one!" Her voice was anguished and her breathing was heavy.

"You're right." Rufus's tone was surprising calm and it made Shazz's skin crawl. He let go of her hair and watched as it feel delicately back down to her shoulders. "Perhaps I've been going about this the wrong way." She shivered as she felt his cold hands grasped her shoulders. "Maybe, instead of forcing you to take me to them," he bent he head down and she could feel his breath in her ear, "I should have you bring them to me." His tongue teased the bottom of her earlobe before his lips caressed it and started sucking. His hands started to move slowly down her arms and Shazz could feel herself becoming sick.

In defense Shazz elbowed her superior in the ribs. He let out a groan as he let go of his prey. Shazz took off for the door but it was no use. Rufus recovered quickly and he reached out and caught the back of Shazz's shirt collar. She could fell herself being pulled back as Rufus used all his strength and threw her up against a wall.

The back of her head ricocheted of the wall, leaving her a little bit dazed. The room was spinning as she gripped the side of her skull to slow it down. Rufus wasted no time in taking advantage of her weakened state. His hands latched onto the small V of her blouse and ripped it open. Shazz felt the fabric stretch and heard her glass buttons fall to the floor.

When she had her wits about her, she immediately covered her exposed body by crossing her arms over her chest, but Rufus grabbed her wrists and pried them way. Pinning her arms with one hand above her head, he slid a knee between her legs, leaving her no where else to run. He rested his free hand on her hip, and then slowly drug his fingertips across her quivering belly. "Aren't you going to scream for them Shazz?" His smile was sinister as he looked down at her. "Go ahead. I'm sure they'll come and save you when you scream." His hand slowly moved up her stomach, over the curve of her breasts, and up her swan like neck. He stopped right under her chin and he clenched his hand tightly. Shazz winced as she felt like she was being chocked. "I'm not hearing anything darling. I supposed you don't want them to see you like this, because then they would realize what a whore you really are."

Without warning he smashed his lips against her and his tongue drilled into her mouth. They it wriggled inside her mouth brought tears to her eyes and an ill feeling in the pit of her stomach. His kiss was burning her lips as he forced her to open wider. She felt his lips engulf her tongue and he sucked on it slowly has he pulled away from the kiss.

Shazz gasped for air as her eyes glared up at a beast of a man. "You're disgusting!" she spat, but the same evil grin remained.

"You shouldn't judge to soon my dear. If you just relax a little, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." His hand grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her away from the wall and pushed her in front of him. With and iron grip he drove the weary girl across the room where he bent her over his desk, slamming her head down upon the hard surface.

Her eyebrow hit the corner of his golden name plate and she could feel the blood trickle down her forehead and pool on the desk. He had her hands pinned behind her back with one hand, and the free one was being drug up her leg. When it reached of hem of her pencil skirt, she could he fabric being lifted up over her thighs and then it was pulled all the way up to her waist.

He had her broken, physically and emotionally. Shazz had lost her fight. Her body ached and her tears would not stop. She felt Rufus's ugly fingers toy with her cotton panties and as much as she hated it, she could do nothing at this point but beg. "Please stop….please! Don't do this! Please sir…please…don't…..ahhhhhhhh." A wicked cry erupted from the poor creature as she felt her panties being torn away. His hands reached between her legs and she sobbed uncontrollably. She closed her eyes and braced herself for what she knew for sure would be next. She could hear his belt buckle unfasten and she tried to relax her body, it would hurt so much worse if she didn't.

Suddenly the two Oak doors swung open. "Sir! I have witnesses that have spotted Zack and Cloud heading north. I need you to go and give permission to deploy a squadron to search for them."

Shazz felt herself being released and she slowly melted to the floor. Rufus fastened his pants back up and ran quick finger through his hair. "Very well, just stay here and clean up this mess." His voice was calm and assertive. It was like this never even fazed him and he went about his business, leaving Shazz to shiver on the floor.

She heard footsteps coming closer and a hand reached out and touched her shoulder. Shazz flinched and drew away from who ever it was that was in the room. She sat there and waited for who ever it was to finish what Rufus had started. Instead she felt a jacket being placed on her shoulder and the presence was now kneeling in front of her.

Shazz lifted her head and was greeted by a pair of kind grey eyes and sleek black hair that was tied back in a ponytail. "Shazz, are you alright?" came his gentle voice.

Tears began to swell in her eyes again as she flung herself at him. "Tseng! I…I…I swear I'm telling the truth. I don't know where they are! I swear I don't! Please, please believe me." Her tears were staining his shirt as she wept on his shoulder.

Tseng's arms held her firmly. He tenderly stroked the girls brown locks and spoke to her as if she were a lost and frightened child. "Shhhhhhh it's ok now. No one is going to hurt you. It's ok, I believe you."

He gently pulled her away from himself and her sad eyes stared at him. "I need you to calm down right now so that I can check your injuries."

Shazz slowly nodded her head and sat back on her calves. The Turk held out his hand and gingerly touched the tender area around her eye. Shazz winced but didn't pull away. "There is definitely a lot of swelling and I wouldn't be surprised if your eye should start to bruise in a matter of hours." He then ran his thumb across her bottom lip. "Your lip is split but it looks as if it has started to heal. You're going to have fit lip for a bit." His attention was drawn to the gash above her eye. "This doesn't look to deep but it could use a good cleaning and a bandage."

He reached over and opened the bottom drawer of the desk. He pulled at a rather large medical get and set it down next to him. "I have one of these is every room Rufus frequents, just incase." HHe opened the lid and pulled out a bottle of hydro peroxide. He poured some onto a small rag and began to dab at the wound.

Shazz had stopped crying for the most part, but there was still some answered questioned. "Tseng, I know you can't say anything and I won't force you to, but couldn't you tell me at least something about what happened to Zack and Cloud. Just tell me something real."

Tseng sighed as he threw away the used rag and put the bottle back in the kit. "In Nibelheim, Sephiroth found out some secrets about his past that infuriated him. What the secrets were, I can not say, but whatever it was sent him on war path. He burned down that entire village, including the people. Zack and Cloud tried to stop him but ended up getting hurt in the process. There are no records of them ever going to the hospital so I can only assume they were taking to a lab. From there they made there escape." Tseng finished putting on a bandage over her cut and continued with his examination. "Do you feel anything that might be broken?"

It took Shazz a minute to respond. She was too busy mulling over the information that she received. "Huh…oh uh no. The only thing that hurts is my shoulder but I think it's just a sprain."

"Ok good, now, I need you to listen to me carefully." Shazz pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders as she focused in on Tseng. "This situation had become extremely volatile and it is no longer safe for you to be here. If you think what happened to you now is bad enough, I can't imagine what else he will put you through in order to get information. So I'm going to take you through one of Rufus's emergency exits where there will be a car waiting to take you. It will then take you to your place where you have an hour to get cleaned up and pack all that you can. From there you will be brought to a local hospital where you will be taken to the roof. There will be a helicopter there that will take you to an undisclosed location where you are to remain until further notice. Do you understand?"

Shazz nodded her head. Tseng stood up and helped the girl to her feet. With an arm around her shoulders, he led he through a secret door at the back of the office. From there hey took an elevator all the down to the basement and through a dark tunnel. When they reached the outside word, Shazz slipped the jacket it on and buttoned it all the way to the top.

Tseng open the door of the beautiful black vehicle, but before Shazz slid down into the leather interior she had to ask one last question. "Tseng….what about Zack?"

The Turk closed his eyes. He was hesitant to answer because he knew Shazz would not like what he had to say. "Shazz, as a man of duty I'm bound to serve and protect Rufus Shinra. What ever he orders, I must carry out." He watched as a few tears trickled down her swollen cheeks. "But, I've always had great respect for Zack and as a man of honor I'm going to do all that I can to bring him back alive. Right now, the least I can do is protect the things he cares most of about. That's why I need you to get in this car Shazz."

Shazz reached out and gently touched The Turks cheek. She didn't speak, but her eyes said a silent thank you. She took back her hand and sat down in the backseat. Tseng shut the door and hit the hood of the car. Tires squealed as it sped away and Shazz watched as Shinra slowly faded in the distance.


	12. Heaven's Tears

Sorry for the long absence but it was my birthday weekend and i have a little vaca planned to celebrate! Well now that i'm back i'm so excited to share this chapter with you. Some mood music for you would be Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright. Please enjoy my dears!! ^_^

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Dark Clouds rumbled through the twilight sky and settled over a blood soaked field. Weapons, armor and debris lay strewn across the rocky ledge as a solider with raven hair and fading blue eyes lingered in his last moments.

Rain started to fall upon this tragic scene, washing away the blood that soaked the earth. Surely this rain are the tears of angels for heaven can do nothing but weep at the heart aching site that is displayed before them.

In the distance, blonde hair peeks out from behind a boulder. A wounded SOLDIER crawls through the crimson colored mud, past the bodies of fallen comrades, to the man whose body lay motionless in the open. His muscles ache as they slowly regain function. The mako has final absorbed in his body and the energy courses through his veins like lightening. Deeper his hands dig into the soil as he pulls himself along on his belly.

As he gets closer, Cloud recites silent prayers that his beloved will be alright. He manages to pull himself up on his knees right next to Zack and his baby blues widen as he realizes that his prayers will go unanswered. The blood, there is so much of the older man's blood spilling out everywhere and the youth is still to weak to even make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

"For…the both of us." Cloud gazed into the dimming blue of Zack's eyes as he spoke. His voice was strained and barely audible. Zack reached up with what little strength he had left to pull his lover closer to him. Clouds head lay on his chest; he could feel his cherished friend's breath become shallow. "Live." he said as loud as he could. "Live for the both of us."

The youth sat up and looked at Zack with sad eyes. "For the…both of us?" He replied as he felt the rain wash away Zack's blood that was on his face and hair. The older man reached over to his side and grabbed the handle of his sword and placed it in the palm of the blonde haired boy.

"You're my living legacy." Zack coughed a little to get rid of the sticky scarlet liquid that was starting to congeal in his throat. Zack could feel himself begin to fade. His breath was becoming fainter and he could feel his body start to slowly quit on him.

Cloud could sense that there was something that his older lover wanted to say to him, yet he no longer had the strength to form a single word. He watched as Zack slowly mouthed the words, "I love you." and a smile spread across his lips as he closed his eyes for the last time.

Zack was at peace to know that he would leave this world with the image of Clouds golden hair, radiant eyes, and enduring smile would be forever etched in his mind. Having this image to carry with him through eternity seemed the best way to go.

As the darling youth watched his beloved take his last breath, he felt his whole body begin to shake. Tears flowed freely as he looked to the skies and a heart shattering cry ripped through the boy that surely made the earth quake.

Cloud sat there and silently mourned for the loss of half his heart. He lovingly wiped away the blood from the older man's face so that when he left this world, he would look as beautiful and distinguished as the day that they first met.

The ominous clouds rolled away and the sunlight shown down on them in glittering rays. A light breeze tussled Cloud's hair and he heard Zack's voice on the wind as it brushed past his ear. "_Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams."_

Cloud let out a deep breath as he leaned forward and placed on last kiss on lips that he would never again touch. "I love you" he whispered as he got up to his feet. He looked at the sword in his hands and then back at Zack. "Thank you. I won't forget."

Cloud swallowed back the lump in his throat as he turned away from Zack and prepared himself for the journey that lay ahead. One foot in front of the other was all he could do in order to move forward, all while dragging the weight of the sword behind him.

Tseng stared at the velvet box he held in his hand as the whipping of the helicopter blades roared in his ears. It didn't bother him, at least not as much as what he knew he had to do once he landed.

"Hey boss!" Tseng looked up from his trance at the red headed pilot. "We're approaching the coordinates sir."

"Very well then" he said softly as his head turned to look out the window.

"I hope you don't mind me asking sir but, where the hell are we going?"

"You'll know soon enough."

Reno rolled his eyes and looked over the terrain. It was all pretty woodsy and he had no idea where they would land. Suddenly his eyes spotted a clearing a mile ahead. "Sir, there's an open field up ahead, am I supposed to land there?"

"Yes." There was a hint of anxiety in the Turk's voice as he clenched the little box tightly.

Reno used his skill to maneuver the helicopter to land right into the clearing with ease. The closer he came to the ground, he began noticed a little log cabin with a garden and sunflowers in the front lawn. He hadn't the faintest idea who Tseng knew that lived all they way out here or why he was so intent on coming here in the first place. It had only been three days since the whole Zack and Cloud debacle and things weren't completely on easy street. Instead of smoothing things over, Tseng insisted that they had to go.

"Stay here until I tell you otherwise" ordered Tseng before he jumped out of the helicopter.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Reno said as he waved Tseng off. He looked out the window and watched Tseng walk towards the cabin. He saw as the door quickly opened and he about fell out of his seat when he saw the figure that was running to meet him half way. Reno recognized the bounce of her brown hair and the curves of her figure. He couldn't believe that after all this time Tseng never told a soul that he was hiding this girl.

Tseng stopped as the figure came closer to him. She had a smile on her face and was waving her arms excitedly. "Tseng!" she shouted as she came closer "I haven't seen human life is such a long time! What are you doing here?" She stopped right in front of him and once she took the time to study the expression on the man's face, her smile quickly faded. "Is something wrong?"

He took a deep breath and extended the hand that held the plush token. "Shazz….I came to give you this."

Shazz reluctantly took the box from his hand. She cautiously opened it to find a decorative medal had been placed inside. She recognized the feather shaped golden ornament and her body started to tremble. This medal was given to the most honored of SOLDIERS who have lost their lives in battle and right in the middle of this memento, etched in beautiful calligraphy, was Zack Fair.

Despairing brown eyes looked up at him but her expression was unreadable. "Here, take this." She held out her hand to return the box.

"Shazz…"

"No, this is a mistake. You have to take it back." She was starting to shake so badly that Tseng feared that at any moment she would collapse. Tears were building up in her eyes and despite her best effort to hold them back, they started to fall.

"Shazz, I'm so sorry…"

"He's can't be…he was so strong." Her voice wavered as tears stained her rosy cheeks. " He was too good for this happen. That's why you have to take this back!" Tseng just stood there and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. His heart was breaking as the site of this poor girl trying her hardest to deny what she knew in her heart to be true.

Shazz knew that in his silence Tseng said more than any words ever could. Zack was gone.

The velvet box fell from her hands as her knees hit the ground. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Tseng instantly ran to her and scooped her up in his arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck and cried on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Shazz. I tried…I really did. If it helps, we know for a fact that Cloud is still out there somewhere." It didn't seem like she was even listening.

He picked up the poor girl as if he was carrying a bride across the threshold and he turned towards Reno and gave him the signal to just go on ahead with out him.

Reno nodded his head and started the engines. The blades slowly began to turn and as they increased speed, Tseng carried the broken soul into the house.

The entire day Tseng stayed by Shazz's side as she mourned the loss of her friend. He listened as she would reminisce about the times they had spent together, how much she loved him, and how much she was going to miss him.

The next day was rough as he dealt with the girl's anger. All day Shazz accused him of not trying hard enough and that it was his fault that Zack had died. He took everything that she could throw at him, and she did throw a few things at him. He took it all in stride because he felt he deserved what he got, he didn't bring back her friend like he said he would.

The third day Shazz was almost catatonic. She didn't leave her bed at all that whole day. Tseng did everything for her. He fed her, kept her hydrated, washed her hair in the sink, and changed her into a clean lilac nightgown that could have doubled as a summer dress. After washing her up, he placed her back into bed, covered her up, and sat in a chair right next to the bed to watch over her.

The next morning Tseng opened eyes to find that Shazz was no longer lying in her bed. He cursed himself for falling asleep and in a panic he swung open the bedroom door. He scanned the kitchen and the living room but she was no where to be found. His gaze then went to the front door and he hoped to God that Shazz didn't do anything to hurt herself.

He flung the front door open to find Shazz standing in her yard watching the sunrise. The morning dew sparkled in the sun's rays and a cool morning breeze whistled through the trees. Shazz was just standing out there in her little nightgown so Tseng went back inside to grab a blanket.

The black haired Turk walked out the door and wrapped the blanket around the girl's shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Thank you, for everything" she said as her gaze went back to the sun that was just peeking over the tree tops. "I'm also very sorry for how I treated you. I know you tired…"

"You don't need to thank me and you certainly don't have to apologize. You had every right to be angry with me and I don't blame you for the things you said. I only hope that you are ok?"

Tseng stiffened as he felt a small soft hand intertwine with his. "I will be. It just took me awhile to remember that Zack never liked it when I cried over him. He always told me that the worst site he would ever see would be tears hiding my beautiful brown eyes, so I came out here to smile at the sun in hopes that he will see it." She squeezed Tseng hand and her smile widened. "I also remember what you said about Cloud still being alive, and that means I have a promise I still have to keep. I have to keep going so that I can see him again. Right Zack?"

As soon as those words left her lovely mouth, the coral colored sun was started to rise into the sky. A single beam of light shone down on Shazz and embraced her in a warm glow. Shazz took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. A solitary tear trickled down her cheek, but her lips maintained a beautiful and hopeful smile.

_A new light is warm_

_Shining down on you after the storm_

_Don't mourn what is gone_

_Great the dawn_

_And I will be standing by your side_

_Together we'll face the turning tide._

The last lines are music lyrics from one of my favorite bands Poets of the Fall. The song is called Dawn and it is amazing. Thank you so much for sticking with me this far oh and here's a box of tissues if you need it.

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	13. Epilogue

Hello my darlings!! I can't tell you how excited that i am that you have come this far with me! Yes we have reached the conclusion of my story and I can't tell you how amazing it feels to have come this far. Who would have thought i would finish this lol but i hope you're glad i did. So i leave you with and epilogue that was inspired by Taliesin Orchestra and the song May it Be.

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"Not interested!" Cloud said defiantly as he shoved passed Reno unto the deck. Whatever Rufus wanted was none of his concern now. The former Shinra President would have to clean up is own mess this time around. He was no longer a SOLDIER, just a simple delivery boy these days.

So much has happened since his returned to normal society, if normal was even a good term for his life. Shinra INC hadn't crossed his mind since he and his comrades had destroyed Sephiroth and as far as he was concerned, Rufus had long been dead. It was a shock to see him pull up in a wheelchair, yet it didn't faze him for a second. Rufus was not even a blip on his radar.

It didn't take long for Cloud to figure that Kadaj and his gang was some how connected to Shinra, that was the only reason he went to see Reno. He had to be sure that whatever the motive behind their sporadic attack was in no way a plea for the Turks to get their claws on him again.

He made his way down the wooden staircase and over to his motorcycle. He lifted his leg to and threw if over the other side of the leather seat and with the other leg he balanced the huge bike to get if off its kick stand. She reached over to turn the ignition he heard a lout banging noise coming from the lodge. He shook his head and paid it no mind. He went to turn the key again but this time the banging became louder and he heard someone shouting.

"Dammit you guys!! Open the door! This isn't funny!" The voice was faint but the tonality of it struck a chord in him. He got off his bike and headed in the direction of the sound. He walked over the ledge near the lodge and noticed there was a bit of back yard to this house that sat on this rocky terrain.

He hopped the fence with ease and landed the ground below. His knees bent to absorb the force as the landed on his feet. He quickly straightened out and crept slowly towards the noise. The pounding became louder the closer the got. His head was spinning has he pondered on who else could be here with….

Cloud froze as his heart leapt in to his throat. Just a few feet in front of him stood a figure of a woman whose back was turned to him as she continued to knock furiously on the back door. Her brown hair was long and reached midway down her back. She was not as tall as him and her curves certainly filled out the simple pink cotton dress that hung from thin straps upon her slender shoulders.

"Assholes! First they kick me outside and then lock me out. What the hell." The young woman stood facing the door with her arms crossed as she tapped her bare foot against the lush green grass of the backyard. She was hungry, tired, and not to mention her feet were cold. Rude had picked her up just as she was heading towards the kitchen and he placed her outside on the stoop as if she were a stray cat. She had no time to even think about putting on shoes.

"Shazz?" The girl went rigid as she heard a familiar voice behind her call her name. For years she heard this voice on the wind and each time she would chase it in hopes it would lead her to her precious friend, but it always ended in disappointment. She hesitated to turn around for fear that she would only find that it was just a voice in her head. There was only so much a heart could take.

Yet something in Shazz moved her feet and slowly she turned her body. Her brown eyes went wide as they came in contact with blue. Tears surfaced even though she couldn't quite figure out the right emotion to be feeling. "Cloud…is it really you?" The words floated off her lips as if it were a sacred prayer.

"Shazz." Came the soft somber tone again and immediately the young woman took off running to quickly close the distance between them. Shazz leapt into the air and wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck as he caught her around the waist. Cloud crushed the girl tightly to him and she could barely breathe, yet it didn't matter. She was holding him, her beloved friend was in her arms and any pain was worth it to just hold him.

When Cloud set her down, Shazz's hands never left him. Touching him meant he wasn't just an illusion and she was freighted that if she should let go, he would disappear. She gently caressed his face, combed through is blonde hair, and finally traced a path down his arms where she took his hands into hers.

"It's really you. You're really here with me aren't you?" Shazz's tears had stopped as a smile spread across her face. "Wow! I just can't believe it! You've changed so much." her hands went back up his arms and squeezed his biceps. "My my my, you've really filled out haven't you."

A faint hue of pink came and went from Cloud's cheeks. He looked down at her and a slight grin reached his lips. "But you are just as innocently inappropriate as ever. I'm glad for that."

Shazz looked up him with happiness just beaming in her eyes. "I've missed you Cloud. Not a day has gone by where I didn't think of you."

She was expecting the same words to come from Cloud, but instead his expression became tortured as he looked into her eyes. "Shazz, where have you been? I've looked…" He was soon interrupted as a hand was gently placed over his mouth.

"Shhhh… there are eyes and ears everywhere." Shazz grabbed Cloud's hand and lead him through the grassy lawn, down a flight of stone steps, across a small steal bridge, and into a shady alcove that looked over a roaring waterfall. Gigantic pine trees acted as a barrier that kept them hidden from prying eyes. Shazz knew that if she was caught talking with cloud, they would take him away. That's why she had to take him somewhere private.

"Shazz," Clouds voice was just as serious as it was before. It was as if the run hadn't bothered him at all. "I've looked for you everywhere. The last time I was back at Shinra, I searched everywhere, but there was no trace of you. No documents, no name tags, nothing at all! It was as if you didn't exist."

"For awhile I didn't." Her expression was soft and she spoke as if this were just another conversation. Shazz knew she had a lot to explain and there was no need to make a big deal out of it. "I went into hiding and I was completely cut off from the outside world. To be honest, I didn't even know where I was, but it kept me out of danger so I can't really complain."

"How come you never tried to get in touch with me?"

"Like I've said before, I had no contact with the world. I had no phone, no transportation; I didn't even have an address." Cloud was looking at her as if he didn't quite believe her and to save this conversation from going somewhere bleak, she quickly changed the subject. "So what are you doing here Cloud? I mean I never thought I would see you around with the likes of Reno again."

"I was attacked and then I was told that Reno was looking for me. There was no doubt in my mind that Shinra must be connected in some way, shape, or form."

Shazz giggled under her breath. She walked over to where there was an opening in the little thicket of trees. She took a seat on a boulder that rested against a trunk. She looked out towards the blue sky as the sunlight crept through the holes of the branches. "I suppose things are much worse than I imagined if they are asking for you help."

Cloud let out a small grunt as the frankness of her words surprised him. "Shazz, how much do you know?"

"I know enough. I know about Kadaj and that he seems to have this vendetta against those who were related to the events that brought about the down fall of Shinra. I also have been kept up to date with your adventures as well. I know about your fight Cloud and those you fought with and against. So you can't stop looking at me as this naive girl. I've grown quite strong in you absence." Cloud was silent as he stared at the girl sitting on the rock. He was trying to make sense of all that she had said. How could she have known all about him when she had just told him that she had no connection to the outside world? Shazz's head turned to face him and that same gentle smile still played up her lips. "Go ahead and ask me. I know you want to."

"Shazz…what are you still doing here with these guys?"

Shazz hung her head though the corners of mouth never slumped. "I'm here because I have no where else to go. I'm here because despite my isolation, one person kept coming back to check on me. There is one person that has kept me safe all these years and I was brought here because no one else knew where I was except Reno."

"Who?"

"Tseng."

"Tseng?!" Shazz could see the blood start to boil in the blonde. She knew from the beginning that Tseng and Cloud had become enemies because of what had transpired from Zack's passing. She didn't blame Cloud for being angry nor was she going to try and change his mind. "How could that heartless bastard have the capacity to care for another…"

"Cloud I know how you feel about him" Shazz interrupted, "but for me, couldn't you just give the guy a break. I mean if it wasn't for him, who know what would happened to me." Right away Shazz regretted what had came out of her mouth.

Her friends eyes stared at her in daggers. "No, what would have happened Shazz?"

The girl forced a smile as she leapt off the rock and took hold of the blonde's hand. "Look Cloud, it doesn't matter now. It was the past and I've moved on. You and I are finally reunited, lets not sully this moment with talk of ugly things."

He wasn't buying into this for a second. His hand slipped out of hers and he gripped her shoulders tightly. "Tell me what happened."

"Why? It doesn't matter now."

"It matters to me. For years I've been piecing together the remains of my shattered life but there was always one fragment that was out of reach…you. I have no idea what happened to you and if I have any chance of finally moving forward I need the truth!" Clouds eyes were wild as they penetrated deep into Shazz. Her expression became listless and Cloud let go of her shoulders.

She turned her gaze away from him and nervously twisted a strand of hair around her finger. She heaved a heavy sigh as she started her story. "You and Zack escaped Shinra without a single word to me which was for the best. I suppose you figured that the more I knew, the shorter my life would become. Unfortunately, you didn't realize that Rufus cared more for his company, than me. He was convinced that I new where you guys were and one night…he…he was determined to get answers. One way or another."

Shazz paused for a brief moment and Cloud knew that this was hurting her more than he had anticipated. The strain in her voice was making his heartbreak and he hesitated to ask but, he wanted to know the whole story. "What did he do to you?"

"He struck me a couple times but…that was nothing. I would have rather taken another hit than to….have him…force himself on me."

Cloud felt as if a small explosion had just went off inside him. He could hear noting but the loud thumbing of his heart and her voice in his head repeating _forced himself, forced himself. _"Son of Bitch, I'll slit his throat." he said through clinched teeth. He turned to head back towards the lodge but he felt a pair of hands grip his arm.

"Cloud stop! Don't do this! Tseng came in just in time to stop it before anything really bad happened." Her tiny voice pleaded as she tried to pull Cloud back.

"The point it that it never should have happened at all!" Cloud snarled as he ripped his arm out of her grip.

"I know, you're right, but what's done is done and marching in there and tearing off his head isn't going to help matters. Cloud I just got you back and I refuse to see you get caught up with the same people that took you away from me!"

"I should have been there to protect you!!" Came a heart renching cry from the troubled blonde. "I promised you I would protect you and I failed. The one thing that Zack has fought so hard to keep from happening to you just took place…all because of me." Cloud lowered his head in shame.

Shazz could hear her heart breaking as he looked at a friend who once shown with such joy, was now being brought down my a depression so dark that it scared her. She walked up to Cloud and took his hand and she placed it upon her cheek. His eyes looked upon her in such agony and confusion. "Cloud don't blame yourself for what happened to me because I don't. You can feel me can't you? I'm right here and I'm not hurting. Isn't this enough?"

Cloud closed his eyes and let his hand and fall away from her. He walked past her and stared up at the branches that protected them from the sun's harsh rays. "You don't understand Shazz. So many people have been hurt because of me. Lives have been lost because of the promises I've broken, lives that have made up a bigger part of me are gone because I was too weak to save them." Clouds voice was shaking as the scene of a blood soaked Zack flashed before him. "Shazz, I've watched as the other half of my heart died in my arms and now I find out that his dear friend has been suffering at the hands of the man he was protecting her from. You can't possibly understand how much it's killing me."

Cloud felt a pair of delicate yet reassuring arms hug his waist and he felt her push her forehead against his back. "You're right, I can't possibly understand the tragedies you have endured and I can't even begin to imagine the pain you're feeling right now, but you forget one thing. I lost him too. A part of myself died with him and I felt like I would never be able to smile again, but I heard that you were still out there. I knew I couldn't just give up and the hope of seeing you again burned through any despair that lingered."

Cloud took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was holding back tears, but one managed to escape his baby blues. "I promised I'd live our life for the both of us, and so far I've done nothing that would honor his memory. I'm certain Zack wouldn't have let all this chaos continue but I let it run rampant. This promise I've always held dearest to me, and it was the first one I broke."

He felt Shazz's arms leave his waist and he heard her move away from him. He thought for sure she had left him out of disappointment, he wouldn't have blamed her if she did.

All of sudden he felt warm hands on the side of his face that forced him to open his eyes. He looked on to see big brown pupils that were littered with tears. "You stupid boy," her voice was quivering yet, there was a trace of hope behind her words "Why do you insist on making me cry. Zack never wanted you to live his life, he just wanted you to live. He wanted you to enjoy the freedom he wanted for the both of you. He wanted you to find a life full of love and liberty that you could have never obtained behind Shinra walls. Zack was definitely one in a million and there will never be another like him, but I do see him in you. I see his hopes and dreams reflected in your eyes and I can see his courage in your heart. So if you give up right now, his death would have been in vain. I don't know when and I don't know how, but there will be a moment when you will realize that what you have right now is worth while and you will stop at nothing to protect it!"

Cloud stared at Shazz in such awe that the tears took this moment of clarity to start flowing freely. He scooped the girl up into a embrace so loving that it made it hard for him to ever let go. "Come back with me." the man whispered in her ear.

Shazz tenderly broke Cloud's hold on her and she looked up at him with a smile just as bright as ever. "Sweetheart, you know I can't. If I did I would only be crutch and another worry to add to your list. I'm safe here. Rufus can no longer hurt me. No, this is a journey you must take by yourself. You need to find you're reason for moving on just as I had too."

Cloud nodded his head and allowed his friend to brush away his tears. "You're right Shazz…as always."

"Of course, did you expect me to change that much?" Cloud gave a half smile as the young woman reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Now you better get going. I bet they are looking out the window wondering where you went and why your ride is still here."

Cloud bent down and kissed her forehead before he started to walk out of the barrier of trees.

"Oh Cloud." He stopped and turned to face Shazz. "Remember, that no matter how long it takes, I will be here waiting till you return." The blonde gave a quick nod of his head and disappeared through the rays of light that snuck through the thick pine branches.

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Well that's all she wrote folks. Please if you would wold go to my profile where i have wrote a little something special for my readers.


	14. Preview

Hi everyone!!! Hey so i have a small favor to ask of you my loves!! So i've been tinkering around with the idea of sequal for this story and after long process of profound thinking brain things inside my head i decided to go ahead and right a little bit of the first chapter. Now i'm going to preview some of the chapter here for you right now...it's not the whole thing but i wanted to get a feel for what you guys think. i will be following the advent children story line, adding twists and turns along the way and hopefully answering some question you've had about the last story. So please read a little of what i've written and let me know what you think. Sequal...yes, no, maybe....do what ever the hell you want it's your story?

Ok i won't keep you...please read.

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Reno took a moment to contemplate his answer. Why did it matter to him? As far as he was concerned Shazz had been nothing but a burden to him since she had arrived. He had never really forgiven her for pulling out a wad of his hair and she sure hadn't forgiven him for pumping her with a near lethal dose of morphine.

It had been a constant rivalry between them and it seemed that Shazz was always winning. Reno was always the smartass that left people speechless with his off the wall comments. It was different with Shazz, not only did she take his bullshit; she would dish it out ten times as worse. He hated it, and he hated her. It wasn't out of bitterness or anything. He just couldn't wrap his head around her. It was so frustrating how much of a wall she had built up and he never understood why.

"I just want an explanation that's all," Reno said to a girl that wasn't even looking at him. "I've tried, for Tseng's sake, to make sure you are safe and all you ever give me is attitude. I don't understand why the site of the president gets you so angry and if what you told Cloud is true, why must you take this out on me?"

Shazz finally looked up at him and her eyes studied him intently. Shazz wasn't sure if the hot headed Turk was being serious, because in all honesty, she didn't have reference to go by. She had never seen Reno serious.

The young woman sighed as she rested her elbows on the banister of the bridge. She looked out over the rocky cliffs and a soft cool breeze made strands of her hair take flight. She sighed deeply as she took the chance to open up to him. "What if it was true Reno? What would you do? Do you actually think that the truth would change anything between us?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a shot. I know I'm not the most sensitive guy in the world but I'm not without feelings. Try me?" Reno folded his arms behind his head and leaned up against the railing next to Shazz.

This time Shazz couldn't help but smile a little. That was probably the most profound thing that Reno has ever said. That made it easier for her take Reno seriously. "Yes, everything I told Cloud about Rufus is true and if it wasn't for Tseng, who knows what would have happened to me. I'm trying to move on but when ever I look at Rufus my stomach gets sick and all I can see is that cold hard stare he gave me that night."

Reno lowered his arms to his side and his eyes became downcast. Yet again Shazz left him speechless, but not in the way he was used to. What could he say to the person who was violated by the man he took orders from? To him, Shazz had every right to hate him. "Shazz…I…I'm sorry."

This made Shazz raise and eyebrow as a crooked smile danced on her lips. "You're sorry? Huh…I never thought I would here such words being uttered by you."

"I wouldn't buy into the apology that much," said Reno has her returned the same crooked smile "I still hate you, but just a little less now."

Shazz couldn't help but laugh a little. "Gee thanks, I'm glad to see that things won't change that much between us. I can't tell you how glad I am that this didn't turn into some sappy after school special. I'm tired or crying today."

Reno's arms folded behind his head again as he eyes drifted up towards the blue sky. "Nope, I don't foresee anything changing between us. You will always be the biggest pain in my ass and that honor will remain yours forever."

The corners of Shazz's mouth curled up menacingly as her browns made their way over to his piercing blues. "As much as I appreciate the title, I can't take all the credit. I highly doubt that I'm the only cause of that pain in your ass." She winked at him and a faint pink hue came and went out of the Turk's cheeks.

"Oh, that was a low blow there sugar and for that, I'm going to tell Rufus on you." Reno took off running towards the lodge without a moment's hesitation.

"NO!! DAMMIT RENO!!" yelled the frustrated brunette as he tore off after him. It wouldn't be hard for Shazz to loose the red head since she could hear his mocking laughter from a mile away.


End file.
